Monday, October 13, 2014

Yarn Review: Skeindalous Eartha Sock

So, this company's logo is really entertaining to me.
It comes in really nice colors too, and is super soft.  At 65% merino, 35% bamboo, that's not surprising, and it is lovely and shiny too.  The thing that surprised me is how well it is standing up to my usual ridiculous amount of frogging.  Still knits up just as pretty on the third go!  It is however a little on the splitty side, which is not super surprising as the twist is light for a sock yarn.  Not terrible - but you have to be careful if you're doing crazy decreases or dropping down to fix something.  It would make quite a stunning shawl, as well - nice and durable, but with the softness and drape of a yarn with a less firm twist.  It is also on the lighter end of fingering weight - you might want to knit at a slightly smaller gauge than usual.

Speaking of crazy decreases:


The next pattern in Home State Botany: Colorado - Columbine - is currently in testing, and came out really nicely.  It is also in preorder, and the final pattern should be ready early November!

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Yarn Review: Your Mom Knits Lolo

The next pattern in Homestate Botany: Colorado - Indian Paintbrush - is actually already finished.  And even out of testing.  Slowly but surely, I will catch up on all my stuffs.  For this one I used this super awesome yarn:
Oh wait that was just the packaging.  Isn't it *cute?*  It was like Christmas in my mailbox!  I love it when yarnies add these extra little touches.  Also, it came with a super cute "Your Mom Knits" button:
Cute button is cute!  I freely admit I have no use whatsoever for little buttons like this, but I still like it, and it is currently displayed on my Yarn Along the Rockies tote with all my other useless buttons that I like.  And of course the yarn is really pretty, too:
This yarn is actually a little more variegated than it looks in the skein, which scared me at first - I have been burned trying to design in variegated yarn before - but this turned out really pretty.  You can still see the stitchwork, but the yarn is super fun all by itself, too.

My one issue is that this yarn did not take frogging so well.  That being said, I did frog it A LOT.  Seriously, I restarted that first sock literally four times, and one of those was from after the heel turn.  Those first few yards got a little thingy.

All in all though, I would use it again in a heartbeat.  It is super pretty, the finished fabric is really nice, and the customer service really takes the cake.  You just might want to be a better (or at least less error-prone) knitter than I am.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Playing Catch Up

I swear I am still alive and mostly unwounded, even.  I have however been very busy.  Aspen is out of testing, and turned out very nicely.  Thanks again to all the wonderful peeps who helped me out!  I have also released the second sock, Indian Paintbrush:

Again, yay testers - I couldn't do this without you!  I also owe y'all a review of the yarn I used, Your Mom Knits Lolo.  Short version: super scrumptious.  The third and final pattern in this book - Columbine - is coming along, albeit more slowly than I would like.  Which brings us to why I'm only mostly unwounded.  I'll spare you the details, but my right hand had a bit of an accident with a steak knife, so knitting is quite painful right now.  Fortunately typing is not a problem, so hopefully I'll be able to catch up on the computer side of my work.

Also, this came out this month:

I may be slow, but I'm also in Interweave, baby!

Monday, May 19, 2014

Yarn Review: Sheared Bliss Fibers Superwash Merino Sock Yarn

It's superwash.  It's merino.  And it is hand dyed in Colorado, using natural plant dyes.

This particular ball was dyed with indigo and onion skins, in a two step process.  This yarn totally geeks me out - local, hand dyed, AND plant dyed?  Sign me up!  It is super soft, but still holds up to all my ridiculous frogging, which is always a good sign.  It's nice and round, with a tight twist, which is great for stitch definition.  Look at those cables pop!

The one downside I found is that it turned my hands blue, and made my tension hand itch.  That being said, I've used lots of other colorways of this stuff, and this is the first that has bled or made me itch, so I really think that both are just the indigo.  That being said, the finished socks didn't bleed in the blocking bath, and when I wear them they don't turn my feet blue, so the bleeding is not horrible, and again... if it bothers you pick an indigo free color.  On a related note, I may be allergic to indigo, and that pisses me off.

These socks (Aspen) are currently available for preorder in my Ravelry store!  They are also included in my new ebook, Home State Botany: Colorado.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

I am filled with good news.

As you may know, in December I had to suddenly move to Virginia.  This was terrible because Colorado and Virginia are far apart, we only had three weeks notice, and we don't know anybody in Western Virginia.  But it is wonderful because of this:

That would be my 100 year old farm house, with my pasture and my barn behind it.  You can't see the coop, but it's there, as well as more pasture in the front.  And we have a creek.  So totally worth it, because I love living here!

That does mean, however, that I have something of a backlog, especially in blogging.  First news: I started a new ebook!  This time I'm doing knitted socks.  It's a little bittersweet to now be publishing Home State Botany: Colorado, a collection of patterns in Colorado dyed yarn, inspired by Colorado dyed plants.  The first patter, Aspen, is in testing right now and is available for preorder.  As you know when I have a new pattern I like to do a review of the yarn I used, so those will be coming up soon, too.  First I need to go feed my ducks.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

How I pack to move.

Step one goes without saying: Find out I have less than a month to move.  Panic.

Step two: round up every WIP I've worked on in the last three months or so, and put them in a basket.  Do not attempt to move basket, or it will over flow all over the floor.  It will over flow about three times anyway.

Step three: round up all work yarn.  Worry that it isn't enough yarn.

Step four: decide that my WIP basket will clearly not be enough to keep me in projects until I get my stash back.   Since socks are a perfect on the go project, select about six balls of my favorite sock yarn.  Then decide that that's not enough and grab a couple balls of laceweight, just to be safe.  Put in a basket.  The stack leans against the pile in the  WIP basket, so it doesn't spill all over the floor.  Feel confident that this is definitely not too much yarn.

Step five: tape shut stash bins.  Panic.  Buy yarn.

Step six: realize that in Virginia they have clothes moths.  Panic again, because while the stash bins are reasonably beetle-proof, moths fly.  Apply more tape to stash bins.

Step seven: Pack all the clothes, toiletries, etc. we'll need while in transit.  This takes like three hours.  Obsess about yarn selections again.

Step eight: decide to participate in a CAL.  Realize the yarn I want for it is in a taped bin.  Attempt to open bin.  Realize that even if it is not moth proof, it is human proof.  Weep.

Step nine: get ready to load the car.  Realize that the whole towering piles in baskets thing is not going to work.  Throw everything into a giant rubbermaid bin.  Yarn bin ends up having to go in my dad's truck to get to my family's house, since the children have to fit in the car.

Step ten: arrive at family's house for Christmas.  Realize that I didn't pack my ballwinder and swift, yet have a giant number of skeins that need winding if I'm going to use them.  Panic some more.  Realize I'm at my mom's house.  Borrow her ballwinder and swift.

Step eleven: realize that I'm going to have to get all this stuff into my van.  Plus Christmas stuff.  Put all yarn in gallon size zip top bags.  Christmas yarn takes up two bags (my family clearly knows me).  Cram bags of yarn into small nooks and crannies around the suitcases.  Drive to Virginia.

Step twelve: moving truck arrives in Virginia.  Decide I need my stash and bring it to our temporary housing.  Requires two trips.

Time without stash: six weeks.

Unused yarn that I packed in the car: one less than half finished sweater, two balls lace weight, seven balls sock yarn, the Christmas yarn, two gallon bags of spinning fiber, and a (now broken) spindle.

Conclusion: I am either insane or think I knit/crochet a lot faster than I actually do.  Possibly both.