Destash--and a Contest!

I was benched from the Ravelympics by a yucky knitting injury; I think I've got the beginnings of carpal tunnel or tendinitis or something uncomfortable, so I've been using the time I would have used for knitting to organize the stash.

What I realized is that it's time to destash, and in order to make it a productive destash (er, to get more people to look at what I've got), I've decided to hold a contest. I'm curious to know what everyone's favorite new pattern is and what they're just dying to knit this fall. Personally, I can't wait to knit Wisteria as soon as my wrists feel better. I've already got some Malabrigo in Violetas lined up and even swatched. For now I can just stare at it and pout. So tell me what's the first thing you'll be knitting this fall, and you'll be entered to win a copy of One-Skein Wonders. Heck, it might even entice you to buy some of my yarn. Get your comments in by September 13, and I'll draw the winner (by some random method) on September 14.

And now to the real purpose of this post, destashing. All of my yarn comes from a smoke-free, pet-free home and has been stored lovingly on an IKEA Billy bookshelf, so that I can admire its deliciousness. Paypal is preferred. If you have any questions or need a better picture, just let me know and I'll do my best to help. Thanks for looking! And, um, buy my yarn, ok? Or at least tell your friends to buy my yarn.

Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton, 1 skein. Color: 81, Dyelot: 8596, 150 yds, worsted to aran weight, $10 including shipping with delivery confirmation.

Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, 1.5 skeins. Color: Berry--seconds (CW-850), Dyelot: 029, worsted weight, $10 including shipping with delivery confirmation.

Lobster Pot Whale of a Skein (80% lambswool. 10% dehaired angora, 10% cashmere), 740 yd(!), Colorway: Sea Lettuce. DK to light worsted weight. $50 including shipping with delivery confirmation (originally $70).

6 skeins Berroco Pleasure (66% angora, 29% merino wool, 5% nylon). Color: 8618, Dyelot: 916033, 130 yd/skein, aran weight. $30 including shipping with delivery confirmation.

School Products Hand-dyed Lace 100% Cashmere, 1 skein. 1.75 oz, 383 yd. $23 including shipping with delivery confirmation.

Hemp for Knitting, Allhemp6, DK weight. Two skeins in Cinnamon, Lot 70; two skeins in Pumpkin, Lot50 (one skein is missing the label). 150 yd/skein. $30 including shipping with delivery confirmation for all four skeins. I was originally going to make this bag (Rav link) from No Sheep for You.

Tahki Angel, 3 skeins. 70% wool, 30% acrylic. Color: 11, Dyelot: 0010, 98 yds/skein, bulky weight. $10 including shipping with delivery confirmation.

Karabella Glimmer, 1 skein. 90% Rayom, 10% Lurex. Color: 100, Dyelot: 517257. 141 yards. Could be a nice carrying yarn for a hat. This was swatched and rewound. $7 including shipping with delivery confirmation.

FO: Marimekko Day in the Park Tote and February Lady Sweater

Three months later, here it is. Now I can't say that the sewing took that long; it was the rivets, oh, the rivets. First there was the problem of making holes through about a dozen layers of corduroy and canvas, without investing in a power drill or a special fabric hole puncher that I'd never use again. Then there was the problem that once said holes were made with lots of hammering, pushing, and cursing, the included rivets were not long enough. One harrowing trip to the Garment District later and I found longer rivets. Whew.



I have to say that my Janome--along with a sturdy denim needle--was an absolute champ making this bag, which I did sans walking foot (the directions strongly recommend one). Canvas, corduroy, medium-weight fabric, and lining--it handled it all without a single hiccup. I was beaming with pride at my little baby.

The original pattern is set up so that your bag can be both a tote and a backpack. I tried that and didn't like how it looked. Besides, I'd never use this as a backpack anyway, so I did a little strap modification and turned it in a tote.

The Marimekko fabric was an impulse buy about a year ago from Reprodepot. I fell in love with the mustardy version of this classic print, but I had no particular pattern in mind until I saw Liesl's tote. I am so thrilled with this one-of-a-kind bag and proud when I walk down the street.

Also finished is my February Lady Sweater. I don't know what else to say about this sweater and yarn that haven't been said already, so I'll just show it to you.





If only it would get just a little cooler, I could wear it. I'm also at work on Liesl in a dreamy shade of Malabrigo Silky Wool. If my wrists would only feel a bit better, I could finish it.

The Slow Leak of Summer

For the first time this summer, there's a different feeling in the air, like summer's got a slow leak. The ferocity of hazyhothumid is gone today, replaced by a heat that is trying, but just can't quite make it up to its typically aggressive standards. Maybe it's the first hint of fall coming. Fall has been coming in other ways, too. From the upcoming issues of Interweave and Vogue Knitting to the show-stopping Twist Collective, there's a lot to get excited about.

Wisteria is first on my list. I nearly swooned when I saw it. I immediately ordered some Malabrigo in Violetas to make it.


I'm also loving the Whisper Stripe Pullover from the new Interweave. The suggested Alchemy yarn is $$$, but it could be a "good" splurge.



I'm not sure how it will look on me, particularly with the shawl collar, but I might try this Rebecca Taylor sweater from Vogue Knitting:




I've been silent the past few months, but it's not for lack of knitting. Well, that's not entirely true. I was having wrist trouble for a few weeks, but I'm back at it again, taking things more slowly this time.

I'm not the world's best blogger, particularly because Ravelry takes up most of my e-knitting energy. Does anyone else find it somewhat exhausting to take pictures of projects, upload them to Flickr, add them to Ravelry along with any notes or comments, and then to blog about them?
Just me? I try to blog without obligation, though I do wish I could do it more often.

Here's a bit of a recap, from newest to oldest:

The Inevitable February Lady Sweater in progress in the Inevitable Dream in Color Classy in Happy Forest.


No one will believe me when I say it, but I swear that a week or two before Pam at Flint Knits posted her version of this classic EZ sweater, I was stalking adult-sized versions of the Feburary Sweater on Ravelry. I don't know any little girls, and I wanted to make this sweater so badly that I would need to make it for myself--in green, no less. Somehow the universe heard me.

Before my sore wrist, I was plugging away at Sahara in Knit Picks Comfy--a lovely yarn, by the way! I'm curious to see how it will hold up. This is a great pattern, and I can't wait to finish this.


Finally, for now, at least, I finished the Shetland Triangle (Ravelry link) from Wrap Style. It's an easy pattern in a gorgeous silk-cashmere blend yarn, Karabella Breeze.

WIP: Marimekko "Day in the Park" Tote

I've been hoarding this Marimekko fabric for about eight months, looking for the perfect project. Then a month or two ago, I came across Liesl's backpack pattern. What could be better? A one-of-a-kind Marimekko bag that will inspire envy city-wide. Ok, not really, but it might be pretty cool.


I finally got down to work this weekend. Can I tell you it took me most of Saturday to cut out the many, many pieces of fabric required--main fabric, lining, interfacing, contrast fabric. Whew! I don't have the walking foot that she suggests, so I'm going to do my best without it. I am using a denim needle, though, which seems to be helping. I've got a few of the layers together, but won't have time to work on it again for a while.

I still have enough fabric left for a skirt or another project. Would it be too terrible to have a bag and a skirt of the same fabric even if I don't wear them on the same day? I can already hear people at work saying, "Don't you also have a skirt in that fabric?"

¡Qué emocion!

¡Mis calcetines han llegado de parte de Carmen Gloria! ¡Vienen de tan lejos! Los calcetines están lindísimos y son de mi color favorito--verde. ¡¡Me encantan!! ¡Lo increíble es que utilicé el mismo patrón para los calcetines mi sorprendida, Maya! Extraña casualidad, ¿no? Y hablando de casualidades, la noche antes de recibir mis calcetines, terminé de leer Paula de Isabel Allende (en inglés), un libro sobre la vida de esa famosa chilena así como la historia de Chile. ¡No podrán imaginar mi sorpresa cuando descubrí en mi buzón un paquete proveniente de Chile!

Carmen Gloria también me mandó un montón de cositas bien monas: una tortuga de crochet que hizo ella misma para mis alfileres de coser, algunos alfileres de coser de colores vistosos, un sachet con aroma de ginseng y jengibre, un juguete típico de Chile, y un "bowl" también típico de ese país. ¡Gracias, Carmen Gloria! De veras aprecio mucho todos estos detalles. Soy una swapetinera feliz.

Translation: I participated once again in the Spanish sock swap Swapetines, organized by Pilar. It gives me an opportunity to practice my Spanish (that my Spanish-speaking husband so kindly corrects for me) and to exchange socks and other goodies with people from around the world. It has really been a tremendous experience. This year my socks came from Carmen Gloria in Chile--a really unbelieveable coincidence because not only did she use the same pattern (Monkey) that I use for my "sorprendedora's" socks, but also because the very night before I received them, I finished reading Isabel Allende's Paula, a book that is largely about Chile. I suppose it was meant to be. Carmen Gloria also included so many thoughtful things--an adorable crocheted turtle that can be used as a pin cushion (because she saw that I also took up sewing), some pins, a little Chilean toy, a cute ceramic bowl, and a lovely aromatic sachet. I am one happy Swapetina.