mama-of-purl

I'm in a weird space, folks... I'm trying to figure out if I can realistically finish my University degree. I need money and I have a possible opportunity for a job I'd really like to do. Had an interview there 10 days ago, it went really well, so I'm going to have a trial day on Wednesday, keep your fingers crossed it's working out. No matter how I'm going to decide on the University thing, I sure can use some new input/perspective/silver lining.

Anyhow, I've had some serious finishitis lately! There's so much to talk about, I've been making notes;-)

First of all, I had finished the cabled sweater for Johanna, which tuned out really cute, but getting it over her head was close to a second birth experience for her. Man, that collar turned out so tight! Here's her posing proudly and then there's the 'after' picture of her complaining about the collar.Okay, the hood has to be taken off again and I need to rip back the collar a few rows to make it wider. Good thing I decided on knitting the hood separately and doing a bottom-up raglan this time.

The next finished item on the other hand is so stretchy, it even fits ME! Wow, me and my toddler can share some of our clothes!;-)

Here's the hand-dyed, hand-spun, hand-knit sweater in action

Finished item Nr. 3 deserves a drumroll... the Pretty Petals socks are DONE!!! 

These were actually supposed to get finished during the Trek-Along, but I've been terribly frustrated with them and had too much welcome distraction.

Some stats:

Pattern: Pretty Petals by Jeanie Townsend 

Yarn: Trekking XXL 110

Needles: US 1/ 2.25mm Pony Pearl DPNs. What an annoyance. Those needles are so wiggly and wobbly and constantly snagged on the fiber. Terrible.

Pattern modifications: Since I used smaller needles, I ended up having to add one panel of the pretty petals pattern in order to get the right circumference. Therefore I have two panels going down the foot, which I really like. I could have just used 2.5 mm needles and stuck with the pattern but I liked the texture of the yarn being knit with the US1s.  

After alreading wanting to throw out those crappy plastic Pony Pearl needles, I was up for an extra special surprise in the mail:

MY DYE-O-RAMA PACKAGE! It finally got here! THANK YOU SO MUCH, Katherine!

In it not only my luscious soft 100% superwash merino yarn in beautiful blues and greens, but also a set of wonderfully smooth bamboo US1 DPNs. Weeheee! But wait, there was a lot more.

I actually rummaged through the box extensively and wound the yarn into a ball before I realized I'd forgotten to take a picture of everything unopened. The chocolate was missing some chunks already;-) And, uh, there's almost half a Mata Hari sock there already that I've knitted Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning while waiting in line to get a spot at the local fleamarket next Sunday.

My wonderful, talented Dye-o-rama pal Katherine also sent me one of her awesome handprinted T-Shirt for which she carved the wooden block herself. Isn't it cool? She's planning on selling those on ebay some time soon.

Oh, and something curious about the tea filters Katherine included in the package to go along with the excellent Earl Grey tea- they're available here, too, so I was wondering where they were produced. Check this out: these are some crazy travellin' tea filters! Hamburg-Salt Lake City-Hamburg-Salt Lake City-Hamburg. What a trip:-) 

My dye-pal already contacted me and I e-mailed her my color preferences, but maybe this helps as well... not that I'm too fussy;-)

Your favorite colors?

all kinds of green, dark brown, sand/khaki, blues, I have a huge crush on turquoise and teal since last year, and I've started to like an odd dabble of pink here and there (that was a shock at first)

Preferred yarn weight (Fingering, Sport, DK, maybe even Worsted)?

Fingering weight, I'm all about socks, bebe!

Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn?

Multicolored. Although some of the projects I have planned also need solid colors as a MC.

If your buddy is able to do so, would you like a variegated, self-striping, or self-patterning yarn?

I really like stripes. Variegated is fine, too, but I'm over self-patterning yarn.

Would you be interested in a wool blend sock yarn (nylon, tencel, silk, acrylic, alpaca, etc.)?

Yeah, why not?

Imagine the perfect colorway. What would you name it?

Revenge of the Leprechaun?

What was the biggest appeal to you for joining this dye-along?

Getting an excuse to dye more yarn:-)

Have you dyed yarn/fiber before?

Yes. And I've been quite pleased with the results so far, although I couldn't say I knew exactly what I was doing.

If so, what’s your favorite dye and method?

Kool-Aid is fun, but I like other textile dyes because they offer more, uh, muted colors. I do a combination method where I dip the yarn in dye pots and then transfer it to the oven.

Do you spin?

Well, I have borrowed my mother's spinning wheel and I have an entire sack of roving here, but I've been a little too impatient so far.

Have you knit socks before?

Yes, a few. And I plan on knitting a few more.

Do you use sock yarn for just socks or in other patterns too?

I also use it in hats, mittens, and gloves.

What are some of your favorite yarns?

Trekking XXL and Opal

What yarn do you totally covet?

There are a bunch of sock yarns I drool over- koigu, lorna's and STR

Favorite patterns?

I love fair-isle but also easy-to-memorize ones.

Any pattern you would love to make if money and time were no object?

Probably something by Alice Starmore. But man, those are spendy! 

Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)?

I prefer circs. Addis are great, but most of the needles I own are Prym/Inox. 

If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be?

I feel like I'm a merino/alpaca blend:-) Something sturdy but soft. 

Do you have a favorite candy or mail-able snack?

Cho-co-late!

If you were a color what color would you be?

a dark leafy blueish green. 

Describe your favorite shirt (yours or someone else’s)..

a quite short and close-fitting but not tight t-shirt with a cool print on the front. And the main color would be faded into all these different shades from wearing it a lot.  

What is your most inspiring image, flower, or object in nature?

frost and turned leaves. 

Tell me the best quote you’ve ever heard or read.

"the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace things, but burn like fabulous roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue center light pop and everybody goes "AWWW!" " Jack Kerouac