Get away from me with that butterfly net!!!

I'm now officially part of

and boy, am I going to need it!!

I'm in the process of knitting another sweater for KnitPicks...my contact asked me Thursday if I would do it, the yarn came Friday afternoon, and it has to be at the UPS store by the 10th. That same evening is the lighting of the Olympic torch, and the start of the Knitting Olympics.

No Pressure...

In my ultimate stupidity wisdom, I offered, several months ago, to teach a "Knitting 101" class at the library. Two Thursday nights for 2 hours each. Those two Thursday nights just happen to be February 16th and 23rd...right smack dab in the middle of the Olympics.

Okay, we can get through that...

They set the class limit at 12, and started advertising last week on the local cable information channel.

No worries...

The lady from the library called. The class is full, and they have let 4 more people into the class (but they BEGGED!" she said). They have 9 more on the waiting list, and more are calling each day.

Huh. I was worried that I was going to be sitting there by myself, and nobody would show up.

Minor panic may start setting in any day now...

The swatching made the decision

St. Anton is most definitely out of the running for the Knitting Olympics; I can't justify using the grocery money for the yarn. That narrowed it down to the Cuff-to-Cuff and Inishmore.

I swatched for both sweaters, and I'm really glad that I did. The Harrisville Orchid is a great yarn for Inishmore...but it's dark navy. It's dark enough that I can't "read my knitting" while I'm working, and I have to rely a little bit too much on the charts. As a result, I'm having to knit a lot slower than I usually do. I'll definitely finish this sweater (maybe for my fair project this year), but there's no way I'd be able to get it done for the Olympics. I think I'm going to ask for an Ott Light for my birthday this year...

So....the Cuff to Cuff it is! Here's some of my yarn - Briggs & Little Regal:

I'm doing the bottom in the natural and the top in the Forest Brown. I'll probably only need one skein of the brown, but I liked the color. :-)

Edited to Add: I forgot - until Nancy posted a comment - that I had a picture of me wearing the original Cuff to Cuff sweater from Wool Gathering #72, taken at Knitting Camp last summer. If all goes well, mine will be just like it, but with reversed colors. If all goes *really* well, it will fit as nicely as this one did.

I'm in!!! I'm must be nuts!!

Oh, boy. I joined the Knitting Olympics!

I want to make Dale of Norway's St. Anton


but I don't forsee being able to buy the yarn anytime in the immediate future.





That leaves me with two choices. I have the yarn for both of these sweaters in my stash

The Cuff to Cuff Pullover from Wool Gathering #72 (using Briggs & Little Regal from Schoolhouse Press)

Or Alice Starmore's Inishmore, using Harrisville Orchid

Realistically, I think I would have a better chance at finishing the Cuff to Cuff sweater, and I bought the yarn for it last summer at Knitting Camp. Inishmore will probably have to wait....unless I change my mind again before the Olympics start

Still Here

Just really, really busy!!!

Details later...

Secret Pal 7 Questionaire!

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? For the most part, yes I am a yarn snob. I'll use Wool-Ease in a pinch, but I prefer natural animal fibers.
2. Do you spin? Crochet? Yes to both! I have a Kromski Minstrel named Queen Matilda. I *can* crochet - I've been known to whip up a lace doily or two - but I prefer not to.
3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I use a two-sided plastic worm holder from Bass Pro Shops and keep my needles in the plastic ziploc sleeves
4. How long have you been knitting? 34 years!! My grandma taught me when I was 6.
Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?Advanced
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yep!
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I like all kinds of scents; I make soap, lotion and candles, so my favorite changes quite a bit
7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Definitely! I have a weakness for dark chocolate,
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
Besides spinning and soapmaking, I also quilt, cross stitch and garden.
9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
As long as it's not hip-hop or rap, I'll probably like it! I prefer pre-1980's.
10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
Maroon is my favorite, but I like anything in the blue/purple/red range. I look ill when I wear yellow and orange, so I avoid them.
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
One husband, two kids, two dogs, five cats, a baby ball python and my son's tarantula. Gives a whole new meaning to the term menagerie!
12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Northeast Ohio winters usually require scarves, hats and mittens, but you won't catch me within 10 feet of a poncho. :-) I love the feeling of a nice warm scarf, hat and mittens!!
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Anything wool - I love Bartlett, Briggs & Little, Jamieson & Smith, Brown Sheep, Harrisville...
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
My hands and cotton disagree with each other, and I don't like most synthetics. Novelty yarn and fun fur get taken to Goodwill.
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Fine gauge fair isle - I'm gathering the yarn to make the Dale of Norway Torino sweater, and I'm trying to finish a fair isle cardigan in Briggs & Little sport (on size 3 needles).
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Shawls, socks, aran sweaters
17. What are you knitting right now?
The B&L fair isle mentioned in #15, 2 pairs of socks, a pair of gloves and two shawls.
18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes!
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Circulars! I use straights for bobbin holders when I'm winding off onto my niddy noddy.
20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Depends on the fiber - my favorites are Holz & Stein and Inox
21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yes to both!
22. How did you learn to knit?
See #4
23. How old is your oldest UFO?
5 or 6 years - a cardigan for my MIL, but it wouldn't fit her anymore. I really need to frog it.
24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Animated - SpongeBob!!! Animal - Airedales and Dachsunds
25. What is your favorite holiday?
I like all holidays, but Christmas is probably my favorite
26. Is there anything that you collect?
Wool Gatherings and pre-1960s cookbooks
27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
IK, VK, InKnitter
28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?
Any of the Barbara Walker Treasuries (except #1 - I have that one), Fiber Trends lace shawl patterns, possum lace, Interlacements sock yarn
29. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Cat Bordi's mobieus method
30. Are you a sock knitter?
Yes!
What are your foot measurements?
US women's 8-1/2. I have no idea how long that actually is - I'll have to take measuements later
31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
12/17.

Tatjana Strikes Again!!

I got my Christmas box from Tatjana in Germany this morning! When I opened the box, this is what I saw

Within this well-stuffed box was this

Over 800 meters of GORGEOUS wool! Tatjana wound it into a ball for me; the picture just doesn't do the beautiful colors justice. The ball is almost the size of my head!

There were two big balls of spinning fiber,

A cut-out nativity scene from a wedge of wood (the whole thing is about 6" long - the pieces come out!)


Beautiful ornaments

GERMAN CHOCOLATE!!!! Boy, you sure get spoiled by real dark chocolate!!!

Just look at the Christmas Cookies!!!

Nope, not sharing. :-)

And a pair of Holz and Stein circulars!!!!! (we've been trading - I send her yarns from KnitPicks, and she sends me the best needles I've ever used!)

My gift elf has really outdone herself this time! Thank you, Tatjana!!! We really need to figure out a way to get her to visit Ohio! :-)

On the knitting front, I temporarily became a lemming (again) and made a cabled purse

I used one skein of Brown Sheep Burly Spun and handles from WalMart. When I find better handles, I'm going to take it back apart and replace them. I lined it with a fat quarter from my quilting stash, and it measures 12" x 10" (not including the handles). This was a VERY fast project - it took me longer to sew in the lining than it took me to knit it!

Salina - again!

They just put the Salina sweater up on the KnitPicks website - here.

Observation: it looks a lot better when it's being worn. The picture that was taken is absolutely awful - they could have at least smoothed it out before they snapped the picture!

Back to school today - ARGH

update:
The new KnitPicks catalog came today - the sweater is on page 37! It looks better in a big picture, but it's still pretty lumpy. Kyle is ecstatic; he picked out the buttons for the sweater! As a bonus, my Decadence scarf is on page 27 - right in the middle - and it's a much better picture than before! :-)