End of 2012 Yarn

Yarn continues to arrive.

This is the last shipment from Cookie A's 2012 Sock Club, but I've signed up for 2013. The yarn is actually more the color of the pictures. I like both the sock designs.

I've been reading so much about people using Wollmeise yarn I wanted to try some. It is a German yarn so the only place I could find it was on Ebay.

I do also buy yarn. Surprise? I couldn't pass this one up as I have become quite a fan of Downton Abbey and this is specially dyed for Jimmy Bean Wool's Mystery Knit A Long starting along with Season 3 of Downton Abbey.

 Knitspot for December 2012. This club is by Anne Hanson.

 Soctopus' Knit Love Club for December 2012.

 

This may be my last post as for some reason I cannot download pictures anymore. If I can figure out what is wrong I will resume. Edited 01/23/13. It now works, so I'll add these pictures.

  

Abstract Fibers October 2012. Extra Garlic Cashews which were home made and delicious!

Abstract Fibers December 2012. Extra Puppy Scissors.



 

Space Cadet December 2012. Extra: Shawl Pin.

 Three Irish Girls December 2012. Extra Lindt Chocolates!!

 Twisted Shawlette January 2013. Extra Stitch Markers.

 

Thank you for tolerating my indulgences. I enjoy doing this record of my yarn clubs just for my fading memory.

Off and On the Needles

I'll start with finished projects:

 

Thistles by Kimberly Gintar is another winner and another test knit. This shawl is number 17 in 12 Shawls in 2012. The yarn is KnitPicks Shadow, something I found in my stash; knit with US size 5 needles.

Shawn the Shelf Elf is based on the book, Elf on a Shelf and is another test knit for Kimberly. (Kimberly is living in Germany and is my unnofficial adopted daughter- found each other on Ravelry.) I used left over sock yarn from my stash and knit it on US size 1 1/2 needles. He is so cute!If you are not acquainted with the story, the child is given the book and the elf and when the child names the elf it comes to life. Each day it sits in the home and observes the child's behavior (hopefully it is good before Christmas) and at night goes to the North Pole and reports to Santa. When he returns in the morning, he will sit in a different place, so the child has to fine him.

On the needles:

This is Firebird by Rosemary (Romi) Hill. The yarn is the yarn I got from Ann Swanson's stash sale at Vesterheim last month. For some reason this shawl has given me lots of trouble. I can't seem to count! But it is progressing.

 During the busy Holiday season  this is a fun knit which takes me away from the hectic times (Actually, I haven't even started preparations) to relax and think about the meaning of the season and hopefully to enjoy the days more. It is Lila and Claudine's Advent Scarf for 2012. Each day they send a new stitch and very short meditation. I'm already behind- only 3 days done.

This project is the one that is taking me forever, mainly because I've ripped most of it out twice. The first time was because of a noticeable stripe where I changed balls of yarn. We are told when using hand painted yarn to knit from 2 balls, alternating every 2 rows. But, who am I to follow directions? I had used Malabrigo yarn before and never had any trouble, but this one was very different. I know where I started the new balls, but it is much less noticeable than it was before. The second time I had done something wrong in the pattern because I had 2 extra stitches in one of the fronts. I tried just decreasing them out, but then my stitch count was wrong and one front was smaller than the other. I tried to live with it, but the sweater won out and it was frogged again. This sweater is a good "public" knitting project at this point.

Yarnography

Yesterday I took an excellent class from Sharon of Three Irish Girls on photographing yarn and projects. 

 

Here is Sharon with 3 month old baby Shamrock.

We learned lots of things not to do (most of which I've been doing) and what to do and about "staging" our yarn.

One of the problems I've had is getting the true color of the yarn. The above pictures are pretty but not accurate colors. The one below is more true to the color-as I remember it. So we learned how to correct color.

Some other things we learned was sizing the pictures the same width for a blog to make it more pleasing to look at. We also decreased the pixels to save computer space as the Internet can not display more pixels than 72, so why bother.

 

I haven't posted this shawl yet, because this picture was not the color it really is.

This is more accurate. I did learn something, but some of these pictures would not "pass".

Of course there was yarn to be bought. All I came home with is this picture. I had some skeins in my hand but let my friend Christine buy them as my grocery bag of TIG yarn runnith over. That's never stopped me before, but there were too many to chose from I couldn't make up my mind.

 

Yarn Clubs

Today is National I Love Yarn Day!!! Isn't everyday?
Do my posts give you the idea this is what my mailbox looks like?

 Yarnista, August 2012. Extra: Wool Wash

 Yarnista July 2012. Extra: Post it tabs.

 Knitspot September 2012

 

Three Irish Girls September 2012. Extra is small skein of Adorn Sock Yarn. This yarn is Kinsale Merino Tencel. Yummy. I'm not crazy about the sock pattern, but the yarn says "shawl" to me. Can you imagine that?

 Knit Love Club August 2012.

 I have also identified this one as Sock Knit Club by Soctopus for August 2012. One is wrong.

Abstract Fiber June 2012. This club had an option: one skein or two skeins. I chose the one skein, so this yarn will make the narrow scarf-or something else. The extra is a little zipped bag, plus the net bag.

Cookie A Sock and Cookie Club for October 2012. This club always has 2 sock patterns and 2 cookie recipes. I really like the sock on the right. I've made a couple of the cookie recipes which have been good. The last one was an anise refrigerator cookie which I really liked. Hum...maybe I'll mix up another batch.

It's coming to the time of the year to re-evaluate next years club memberships. My head tells me I don't need to join any but it is such fun to get these "presents" in the mail.I've already joined Romi Hill's shawl and pin club, but next year I'm getting the pattern and yarn. This year I got the pin and pattern and I missed not getting the yarn. Something was missing. I will probably rejoin Cookie A's club, Will not rejoin Goddess Knits Shawlette Club, Soctopus Knit-Love-Club, Twisted Head to Toe. I've already joined Knitspot (Anne Hanson) club, pattern only, and Sivia Harding's Mezzaline, pattern only, A Verb for Keeping Warm Proverbial Yarn Club, and Space Cadet Interstellar Yarn Alliance. Three Irish Girls Yarnista Club just keeps going every month. I love her yarn so much I can't make myself quit that one.

Yarn-Again.

The mailman keeps bringing me little packages filled with yarn. I love it! Here are my latest additions.

Abstract Fiber June

Cookie A Sock and Cookie Club June . One of the recipes is for an anise refrigerator cookie, dipped in chocolate which I'm dying to make, but my husband won't touch anise so it's too much for me. Will have to invite the family over to test the cookies.

Goddess Knits Shawlette Club May

This one I bought. It is 100% rayon. Should make a nice shawl some day. (I always look at yarn in terms of shawls.)

Propaganda Zombie Club June

Soctopus, Knit-Love Club May

Three Irish Girls McClellan Fingering. This one I bought because it is a limited edition colorway, You Are My Sunshine, 20% of the sales price went to helping families who have lost a baby.

Twisted Shawlette Club May. The extra is a canister of  cranberry orange tea.

Yarnista April. The extra is a mini skein of Adorn Sock Yarn.

Yarnista May. The extra was a Three Irish Girls folder for patterns which I forgot to include in the picture. I also did not include the pattern picture because I ordered 2 more skeins of this yarn to test knit a shawl. Her shawl is an Awareness Shawl and she knit hers in pink for breast cancer. Since my husband was recently diagnosed with leukemia, mine will be orange, the color for leukemia. I hadn't realized there is a different color for each type of cancer.

SABLE

My daughter saw a pin with this abbreviation and definition and told her sister that it described me. Can't imagine where she gets that idea! (Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy) The mailman has been busy again delivering those wonderful packages of yarn. (And most of the April shipments haven't come yet!)

Cookie A Sock Club April

Soctopus/Knit-Love Club March

Space Cadet Mini Skein Club

Yarnista (Three Irish Girls)

This color is French Quarter. It definitely will not be the socks in the picture.

Three Irish Girls Yarn

I get so confused with the Yarnista Yarn Club, because last week I chose my colorway for January and the yarn for December arrived. And the pattern does not come with the yarn, but is a download that comes a week or so later. I don't remember (oh, I'm saying that so often lately) how long I'm signed up for this club. But I do like this club because 1) I love the yarn and colorways. 2) I get my choice of colorway from 2-3 choices. The clubs I've signed up for 2012 I wrote down the specifics so I shouldn't get so confused!

These do not go together. See, I told you I get confused-a New Years Resolution is to get these pictures taken and marked right away. The yarn is a special colorway dyed for the King of Norway's visit to Duluth. It is called Skyline Parkway.  The yarn is McClellan Fingering, 65% merino, 25% bamboo, 10% nylon.

This is the December Yarnista club yarn and extra. The pattern has not arrived yet, but I couldn't wait to take the picture with the pattern as the candy will be gone by that time. (Tomorrow the diet begins-as usual each year.) The yarn is Finley, sport weight I think and colorway is Bonny and Blithe. 100% merino. (Oh, the candy is delicious! It is called, "The Earl" from www.HaveItSweet.com) The extras in the shipments are always so fun.

This was a Christmas gift from a friend. It is special in several ways. I very seldom get yarn related gifts. This was a Christmas gift, but also a thank you gift from a friend who had a stroke several years ago at a very young age. Hoping to help with her therapy I gave her some yarn and big needles to get her back to knitting. As is common, she is now an avid knitter. The yarn is a special colorway dyed for Yarn Harbor yarn shop in Duluth. The yarn is Adorn Sock.

Okay, I found the correct yarn to go with the pattern. The picture was on my camera, but I hadn't downloaded it. This is the correct kit for November 2011. The extra is a highlighter pen.