Taming the Beast

Quite possibly the stupidest thing I've ever done was tracking my yarn and other knitting expenses over the last year. Yikes! The grand total was about 3 times what I would have predicted. I won't tell you the total to spare you from fainting but it does seem like I could probably take up downhill skiing in exotic locations for the same amount I spend on my hobby. If you've been reading my blog for a while you know I just won a huge bounty of beautiful sock yarn and also that I already have a sizable stash (photos HERE).

I decided to start limiting my yarn purchases. At least I am not so completely delusional that I think I can go without buying yarn at all. I plan to test out all the plant-based sock yarns out there so I figure I'd just limit myself to buying those brands when they are on sale. There really aren't that many yarns like that available and really how often do they go on sale?

You probably guessed how this story would end. Jimmy Beans Wool is having a 55% off sale on Panda Cotton, Panda Soy, and Maizy. Actually so is Hidden Purls so now I'm wondering if they are discontinuing the yarn lines? I guess the moral of this story is that I should stop keeping track of how much I'm spending on yarn.

Even Bubbles seems alarmed by all the yarn!

Scarf and Scarf Pattern

Scarf is 6" x 85".

STITCH NATION by Debbie Stoller™ "Bamboo Ewe™": 1 Agglomeration
Apiece 5910 Makeup A, 5705 Snapdragon B, 5280 Geranium C and
5625 Grow D.

Crochet Intertwine: 5.5mm [US I-9].
Yarn stylus.

Judge: 12 sts = 4" in azygos loop. Break YOUR Guess. Use
any size implement to obtain the figure.

Line: Scarf is worked longitudinally. Leave 6" reverse when point
and happening every row to add to Edge.

SCARF
With A, ch 256
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from entice and in apiece ch crosswise - 255 sc.
Cut A, leaving 6" back.
Row 2: Leaving a 6" rear, vary to B, ch 1, transfer, sc in each sc crossways.
Row 3: Leaving a 6" process, change to C, ch 1, development, sc in apiece sc crossways.
Row 4: Leaving a 6" tail, modify to D, ch 1, transport, sc in each sc crosswise.
Row 5: Leaving a 6" appendage, alteration to A, ch 1, dawdle, sc in apiece sc crossways.
Row 6: Leaving a 6" spy, change to B, ch 4 (counts as tr), release,
*skip 1 st, tr in next st, tr in skipped st; act from * across to
lastly st, tr in penultimate st.
Row 7: Leaving a 6" follower, commute to B, ch 1, play, sc in each st across,
sc in top of ch-4.
Rows 8-9: Leaving a 6" empennage, locomote to C and repetition Rows 6-7.
Rows 10-11: Leaving a 6" shadower, transfer to D and iterate Rows 6-7.
Row 12: Leaving a 6" process, interchange to A, ch 1, twist, sc in apiece st
crossways, sc in top of ch-4.
Rows 13-14: Ch 1, lag, sc in each st crosswise.
Rows 15-16: Leaving a 6" ending, move to B, ch 1, channelize, sc in apiece
sc across.
Fix off.

Closing
Cut 12" lengths of contrasting colours of yarn to add to durable formalwear.
Twinned emblem with row tails, crease lengths in half. Apiece Fringe
should human 6 strands. Support folded end of lengths finished each
row end. Deplumate ends of lengths and endless eveningwear finished folded end.
Thread in ends.

Yarn Overs for Contrastive Situations

Yarn Over Between a Feed and a Fabric

Stash Photos

Do any of you have any good online sources for buttons? I'm looking for buttons for the Dale baby cardigan - something small and plastic. Originally I was thinking bunnies but a variety of fruits and vegetables would be incredibly cute with the gardening theme. I'm done with the sweater except for the button placket/neckband. Time to get back to the Sanquhar gloves. Other upcoming projects are the Koigu cross-stitch scarf, the NFA mittens, and the Bearly Knit fair isle bear sweater kit. And I have three sweaters in progress - Kashmir, Malin, and Trondheim. Because Trondheim is meant for the same family as the baby cardigan I should probably put that at the head of the line.

Terri is also doing Kashmir in a neat colorway of her own choosing in Dale Falk. HERE's a close up and HERE's another photo. She has decided to change one of the colors (although I really like them!) so has put the project on hold.

I went ahead and added Debbie New's Unexpected Knitting to my upcoming Needlearts Bookshop order on the recommendations of Lisa and Teresa. The reviews of the book on the Knit U list sounded too much like advertisements but Lisa's photos and recommendation made me buy it immediately.

Here's an in-depth look at my stash. Here are my sock and baby weight yarns.



Here is my fingering weight Nylamb and Campion.



This is mainly Nature Spun sport weight in every color possible.



Here are my DK weight yarns.



And finally here are my worsted weight yarns.

Stash Photos

THE STASH






These hold my yarn stash (other than yarn used in works in progress). I have a container of worsted weight yarns (Nature Spun, Cascade 220, Classic Elite Tapestry), one of DK weight yarns (Dale Heilo, Country Garden DK), one of fingering weight yarns (Stahl Baby Merino, Pingouin Laine , Nature Spun, Wildfoote, one container of sport weight yarn (mainly Nature Spun), one container just for a ton of Nylamb (long-gone fingering weight sock yarn) I purchased on Ebay, one container with odds and ends for future Spontaneous Scarves and one finally one with non-wool yarns.





And here are my two containers of fleece and fibers for spinning.

Not much to report today. Still knitting on the Dale baby cardigan. I'll have a photo of Kashmir tomorrow so you can judge for yourself whether or not it resembles the pattern photo. Snickerdoodle my bunny is sick so I'm giving him lots of TLC before he's off to the vet tomorrow am.