done, finito, ya!

The cropped cardigan is done.{stop} pictures forthcoming. {stop} It is possible to knit size XL with four skeins of Comfort. {stop}

Recently visited not-so-local-yarn-stores

On Friday, a current work case with a client necessitated a trip to Lakewood, WA. I knew there was a yarn store on Pacific, one that I hadn't been to before and that according to their website, carried Berrocco Comfort yarn (I was still wavering about how much I would need to finish the fronts of my cardigan, in relation to how much I still had left on the skein). I stopped into Lambs Ear Farms which outwardly appears to be a house, but the insides have been miraculously transformed into a yarn store. Yes, they carry Berrocco comfort yarn, but not in the color that I needed. (I will find this yarn, I swear!) The shop owner, Roxi, was in the back unpacking a box of Malabrigo worsted-my timing is amazing, I know-and we struck up a conversation on Peru and knitting and travel. I can wax poetic on Peru for hours, but I am trying to curb this need to convince everyone I meet to travel to South America. The shop has a great selection, smells deceptively like hot apple cider ( I say deceptively because I saw a coffee pot but no cider), and Roxi has knit an absolutely beautiful Baby Suprise Jacket using Zauberball yarn-I am now kicking myself for not taking a picture!
On Saturday, my older sister and I had planned a garage-saleing (sp? how do you say that? garage-sailing?) trip that somehow found us down at the Port Orchard Farmers Market smelling garlic and gouda cheesey bread when the omnipresent clouds opened up and began pouring buckets of rain. We made a dash for the car, turned on the a/c to defog the windows from all the moisture evaporating off of us, and headed the car towards Silverdale, where the clouds were not as dark and menacing. We arrived at Linda's Knit and Stitch, which according to the Berrocco website sells Comfort yarn, wrung out our clothing and headed inside. The last time I was in Linda's they were still selling out of the basement of the church building, but now they have moved to a loftier locale, upstairs in the same building. Strike two, no Comfort yarn in the color that I desperately needed. We perused, squeezed, fingered and smelled yarn for awhile, made small talk about farmers markets in the area versus some down in Oregon (the shop attendent was from Beaverton, I know the Eugene market), and I, true to form, began discussing Peru with the gentlemen in the back office (Linda's husband?). Not just the fibery parts of Peru, but the logistics of Machu Picchu and the downfall of modern construction when faced off with Mother Nature. My sister pointed out that I sound just like our grandfather, talking to everyone about everything. (Here's grandpa discussing yarn with a llama, IN PERU!)
All in all, two more stores visited, not a single skein of Comfort yarn purchased, and I realized once I got home that I probably had about 50 yards left. I wound this into two almost the same size balls, and will finish this sweater today. Wish me luck!

oh, look!!!

Oh look, my hats do fit the babies they were made for!



And, guess what, even though it only looks partially done, I am actually doing the bottom ribbing on the berrocco cardigan.
I can knit, just slowly....

Ooops

I forgot to post for an entire month! well, well, well, I have a new job and have to work Monday through Friday like the majority of Americans, and now I am so far behind on all my projects it is ridiculous. I did finish off an adapted version of Leigh Radford's Baby Bolero (minus sleeves, because I poorly judged the amount of yarn I had!) and also used some of my new grass green and black KnitPicks Risata yarn to make my little brother his birthday hat (this is tradition now, 7 years and counting). This weekend I cast on some Berrocco Comfort yarn to make a short sleeved cardigan for myself (or mom, if it turns out too small), and I finally finished that reversible rib scarf using Fortissima sock yarn knit together with Patons Lacette yarn.
Last week, in the midst of making room for a new dryer that works and cannot be used for clever hidden storage, I realized that I had half done projects spread all over the house. They have all been combined into two picnic baskets that now reside in the living room, right next to the couch-if I am sitting, I am knitting. I still have the flame lace scarf in Malabrigo Lace in the car, and have possibly knit four rows in the last week during traffic......
Tonight I will attend the library knit night, in an effort to socialize my knitting and possibly get a few pattern rows done...I knit faster with competition!