What I'm bringing to the swap tomorrow

I went through my stash and weeded it out. I'm getting rid of a LOT of yarn. Granted, I still have a LOT left, but still. It felt so good to go through my stash and get rid of the stuff I don't see myself using anytime soon. Here's a list of stuff I'm bringing, so you have an idea:

A Denise Needle set that is missing one size 15 tip (I was using it as a cable needle when I was knitting the blanket for Beth and Erich and I think I dropped it on a Peter Pan bus to Providence).

BOOKS:


YARN (in no particular order):

• 1 skein of Knit Picks Stroll in Navy
• Partial skeins of Knit Picks Stroll in Cocoa and Buckskin
• 1.75 skeins of Misti Alpaca Chunky in teal
• 1 skein of strange teal yarn
• 3-ish skeins of Berroco Suede in grey
• Partial Skein of Berroco Suede in kahki
• 7 skeins of Sublime Cashmerino Silk Aran in Sage Green
• 6 skeins of Mission Falls 1824 wool in green
• 1 skein of Malabrigo Chunky in a dark green, black, blue colorway
• 3 skeins of Rowan Denim in dark blue
• 1 ball of Rowan Kid Classic in white
• 1.5 balls of Rowan Kid Silk Haze in green
• 1/2 balls each of Lacey Lamb in Rose, off white and pink
• 1 skein each of Mission Falls 1824 in black and teal
• 2 skeins of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Grey
• a couple skeins of strange mohair in different colors
• 1/2 skeins of Lamb's Pride Bulky in Blue and Raspberry
• Several Skeins of Karabella Aurora 4 (I don't really want to know - this is from the original attempt at the over the knee stockings)
• 3/4 of a ball of Rowan Calmer in Navy Blue
• 2 balls of JoJo Land Harmony

This has freed up space in the sweater box and in the box of pretty. Actually, that's mostly because at the bottom of the box of pretty is where I generally keep odd balls. Check out Yarn 365 for an interesting oddball photo. So, if Stan's reading this, buddy, at least know that I tried to whittle down the stash. There's a lot of yarn on that list up there.

Also, check out the odd things I found lying around in the stash! How random!


An Alpaca finger puppet, a button from a bag, a stitch marker (!?! HOW!!??), a Paiette from a Sparkle Hat, and a ball band from some Sweet Georgia Speed Sock (Clapotis circa 2007!)

BEA 2010

BEA 2010 was recently held at the Javits Center. It was actually during the week (as opposed to on a weekend) this year which I think was great for publishers. The floor was actually pretty crowded, which was a great sign that having the show during the week is a good thing. I wandered around connecting with old friends in the industry and nabbed some crafty catalogs. In general, I found that there are a LOT less knitting books on the horizon this year than there were in past years, but that there are a lot more sewing books. I do, however realize that I missed a few publishers I normally hit up and while I didn't think that Interweave was there because they weren't with the group they used to be with, they actually were, and I totally missed their catalog. :(

I should also mention that I'm taking full advantage of the new Amazon Associates program that Blogger and Amazon have teamed up on. In return for my linking to amazon (which I do all the time!), if someone actually buys something from one of my links, I get a (small) cut. Why not, eh? Just wanted to mention it in the spirit of full disclosure. If it feels too pushy, just let me know. On the up side, the Amazon Associates program will totally liven up this blog post with nifty boxes of the books being reviewed (when they're on Amazon).

At any rate, here's a recap of what I've found in the catalogs!

STEWART TABOORI & CHANG
$27.50 | October | Hardcover

I'm sure we all remember Barbara Walker's Knitting from the Top. While that book is an immensely useful resource, McGowan's Modern Top-Down Knitting gives Walker's book a bit of a face-lift for these modern times. The book is actually endorsed by Walker herself, a coup for McGowan. Modern Top-Down Knitting includes patterns not just for dresses, but also for dresses, skirts, tunics and accessories. This one is sure to be a captivating inspiring resource!




$27.50 | September | Hardcover

Go ahead, tell me you don't love the cover of this book. It's freaking adorable, isn't it?! The projects from Joelle's last book were really great. Somehow, I think that this book will be just as good, if not better. Personally, I'm ready to knit that hershey kiss hat for bunches of kids this winter!









CHRONICLE

$29.95 | October | Hardcover

I do love Amy Butler's fabric prints. I also have a love affair with bags. I sometimes even sew. So logically, I'm pretty excited about sewing some nifty Amy Butler bags from this book. I have found some of her pattens to be a little bit complicated, so I'm hoping that her bag book won't be as difficult as other patterns I've tried to make of hers. The description does say that the book includes only 12 basic patterns for bags, however, if you're familiar with her style, you might realize that those 12 basic patterns will be able to create even more different looks (26 according to the catalog).



ANDREWS MCMEEL PUBLISHING
All Wound Up (I'm surprised this isn't on Amazon yet)
$16.99 | September | Hardcover | Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

This is kind of a no brainer. If you knit and you have a sense of humor, you're obviously going to want to buy this book. It's really a shame that the book isn't listed on Amazon yet, because the cover is absolutely adorable.

$14.99 | November | Paperback

I know, I know, you have a knee jerk reaction to hate anything Ed Hardy. I know that having the sentence "Hardy's tattoo-inspired art is carried at stores ranging from Nordstrom to the Saks companies and is a regular favorite of cast members on Jersey Shore" doesn't quite sell it to you either (keep in mind that these catalogs are targeted towards buyers at bookstores, not the public). However, you have to admit that tattoo art makes a much better cross stitch design than those lame Laura Ashley flowers. I'm not going to lie, this is totally going on my wish list. I can totally see having some sort of Ed Hardy cross stitch pattern framed in my bathroom. I also need to mention for your stitchers out there that there's a similar Manga Cross stitch book out there!

 WORKMAN

$17.95 | November | Paperback

You may be thinking I reviewed this last year. As things are so often the case in publishing, this book seems to have been delayed. More time on the book, however, means it's going to be one awesome book though, right? I know I use her first book constantly to refer to techniques for the basics. I'm hoping this will be an amazing reference of advanced techniques I can refer back to like the first book.






STOREY

$18.95 | October | Paperback

So, the first One-Skein Wonders
book was rather meh. I did end up buying 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders: A world of possibilities inspired by just one skein and thoroughly enjoyed it (I know it's silly, but I still can't wait to knit something from it - there are many contenders). I must say that with all this sock yarn I've accumulated, even though I love knitting socks, it'll be great to get some other ideas as to how to use it. I'm really looking forward to perusing this book and hope to make some awesome things out of it!




POTTER CRAFT

$22.99 | October | Paperback

I'm not sure about this one. It seems to be rather short and is somewhat expensive. I am, however, totally in love with one of the sweaters I see on the spreads here. A massive cowl with ribbing that changes around the waist.










$22.99 | November | Paperback with Flaps

I recently read Sweater Quest: My Year of Knitting Dangerously, which is about the author's quest to complete an Alice Starmore Sweater. I was quite inspired by this book to knit an Alice Starmore Sweater actually (I'll write a review sometime soon!). However, since I haven't knit too much with color, it might be a good idea to practice first. I have loved each of Melissa Leapman's previous books on cables. I tend to gravitate towards her cabled afghan patterns. I'm very much looking forward to her modern take on color knitting. Also, if anyone's interested, it looks like her previous books on cables are available in paperback.


WATSON-GUPTILL

$19.99 | October | Paperback

I'm not a huge fan of knitting stuffed animals. I knit the Baby Bobbi Bear because it has no seams and it's all knit in one piece and there's really no sewing. That being said, all the wild animals in this book are adorable. There are several different spreads in the book pictured. Of all of them, I think the giraffe is probably my favorite. With all my friends having babies these days, I think this book might be a great investment.






$29.99 | November | Paperback

Lorna Miser, founder and original owner of Lorna's Laces authors this helpful book on dealing with variegated yarns. Now, I personally have a TON of variegated yarn in my stash. Certainly, I have a lot of sock yarn (which is a whole other book), but I do also have some bigger variegated yarn. It will be great to hear tips from the master of variegated yarn how to best show off the undulating colors of variegated yarns. There are also several projects specifically for hand-dyed and variegated yarns.





$22.99 | November | Paperback

I've been rather fascinated by dying. This weekend I'm going to a dying party actually, and while I think we're using Kool-Aid instead of hollyhock or indigo, these natural dyes are just as interesting and even more fascinating. The little bit that I've seen of this book (and understanding it's a revised and updated edition) certainly conveys excitement and inspiration, even though I'm not a big dyer.






STASH BOOKS
Lunch Bags! 25 Handmade Sacks & Wraps to Sew Today
$15.95 | July | Binding TBD

You know, the bags in this book look so cool that I think I'd actually be inspired to bring my lunch more.


DOVER

$29.95 | September | Paperback

This is a new and expanded version of Alice Starmore's previously published Aran Knitting which has been out of print for 10 years. The sell piece boasts 60 charted patterns for caps, sweater and shawls, as well as 2 new pattersn. It also claims that the revised work includes expanded size charts, as well as new photography and re-knitted patterns. I think you'll agree that this beats getting the previous edition somewhere online for $250-$300, right?
 





$24.95 | September | Hardcover

Calling all EZ fans. Dover's re-publishing the Knitter's Almanac in hardcover! There's a new introduction by Meg Swansen and a preface by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee! They've even re-shot the book so ti'll include all new color photos of the patterns that have been re-knit in more modern yarns. I hope this refresh might get EZ into the hands of newer knitters that haven't quite realized her awesomeness. It's taken quite a while for me to realize that patterns older patterns can be awesome and don't always look out dated when they're finished.

*Technical Quesiton

Anyone have any idea why the paragraph style changes after I put in an hr? It looks like the font might be smaller, but the spacing is definitely smaller.

A New Adventure

A few months ago, I picked up some Alchemy Yarns Silken Straw from Purl in Soho (right before they moved actually). The idea is to knit a t-shirt out of it. I felt the swatch at Purl and fell in love with the yarn maybe about a year ago. I just got to swatching it. I have a really comfortable v-neck t-shirt I got from Banana Republic that I want to model the shirt on. It's comfortable and flowy and kinda big actually. We'll see how it goes. I'm using Ann Budd's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns as a guide for a set in sleeve.
When I get back home, I'll take a photograph of the t-shirt, and I'll probably post a photo of the swatch sometime soon. For now, I've got to figure out what kind of edging I want. I was thinking of a hemmed edge, but I don't think I really want to use the yarn for the underside of the hem. I might do about an inch of ribbing, but I don't want it to be tight ribbing because then it'll make the sleeves look odd. Any ideas?

---

I want to get through row 21 of Seraphim before I really start this project, which is driving me nuts. I forgot to do double decreases at the end of each section, something I didn't realize until I got to the middle. Once I tinked back and re-did that section and moved on to the second half, I realized that all the yarn overs in the first section weren't lining up because my decreases weren't in the right spots. So now I'm tinking back AGAIN so I can make sure the damn row is right.

I made it!

This is the Baby Bobbi Bear I knit for Illanna's baby. She seemed to like it, so I'm excited! I think he turned out really cute.

Ishbel has been cast on. I'm using Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere 2 ply and I ended up on size 6 needles. The gauge is super loose for this, so I hope it works out well. I'd rather not have to rip back lots of cashmere. That would be kinda sad.

Good news!

I did manage to finish the gift for Illanna! I'll post a photo of it tomorrow.

I have the yarn and everything ready to go for my next project, Ishbel by Ysolda (Ravelry Link). Bummer is that while swatching today on size 3 and size 4 needles and somehow, though my gauge recently has been looser than...well, let's say it's been looser than loose...my gauge with these needles is actually too tight! I will probably be swatching at the party!

In other news, I think I've figured out what's been going on with my gauge. Since maybe February, my gauge has been super loose. I wasn't exactly sure what this might have been until recently. I think I used to wrap the working yarn with my pointer finger on my right hand around the needle. Doing so used to tighten the stitch before while working the current stitch. At some point, I think I actually cut my index finger. Perhaps it was a paper cut even. While I only vaguely remember this, I think I might have started using my ring finger to wrap the yarn around. I don't think that tightened the stitch before the working stitch like wrapping the yarn around my index finger did, which then made my gauge all together looser. I've started being more conscious about knitting with my pointer finger instead of my ring finger, and I think it's made a difference. Mystery solved!

Taking Bets...

I just started Illanna's baby's shower gift today. Who thinks I can finish by the time the car service comes to pick me up on Saturday?

I can't tell you what it is besides the fact that it's not a blanket and I don't really like knitting baby clothes since kids grow so quickly. I know Illanna's out there possibly even reading this blog. Also, it's knit out of this: