I bought this at the Nicollet Mall farmer’s market on the way home from work Tuesday. I think she likes it. If we’re lucky, I won’t fry it to death in the heat we’ve had lately.

In other news, I am a sheep. I joined Mystery Stole 3 Friday afternoon. after a bit of a stash dive, I chose some pink 2-ply wool laceweight that I got in the box of coned yarn at the thrift shop last year.

I ended the swatch early after missing a YO and not being in the mood to fix it. (which was probably not the best of ideas in retrospect - would have been good practice for the actual stole).

I then set out on a bead-hunt. I had to pick up some library books, so Maple Grove was the destination. I stopped at the The Bead Bag in Elk River, since it was on my way, and I ended up choosing some beads there. I have no idea what color to call them, they’re iridescent, kind of a blue with a pink reflection. Funny story - when I asked where I’d find the size 8 beads, after being pointed to that section, I was asked what I was planning to make. When I said a knit stole, she found that interesting because another person had been in earlier looking for the same size beads to knit a stole. Makes me wonder if I have a knitting neighbor working on MS3 as well, or if she’s working on something else. (If that might be you, please say Hi)

so then it was on to Maple Grove (after a stop at the Rogers Library). I stopped in JoAnns to grab the needed uber-tiny crochet hook (a size 12/1mm. egads, is that tiny!) and was then going to pop into The Amber Bead to check out their selection. Turns out they are no longer at that location. Rather annoying, since I was on their website before I left to check their hours and it didn’t mention that the Maple Grove location was closed. No notices on the building either, which makes me think it’s been closed for a while.

in other news, some yarn arrived today. I saw a pic of a FO on someone’s blog once upon a time (clapotis, maybe) and they had knit it up in Lorna’s Laces color Aslan. I liked the way the colors knit up, and being unable to resist most lion-themed things, decided I had to have it. and now I have some - in the Shepherd Sport weight.

in other knitting news, I’ve started another K-chan bag and a third one is in the queue. this time I’m using Bernat Felting Wool (think it’s new - it’s not on their website yet) and size 11 dpns. It’s bugging my wrists though - I think it’s from using 5 dpns and so I’m holding things awkwardly. or something. so it won’t be a marathon like the first one. but I’m about halfway done (not counting the i-cord straps)

I need to post more often.

I seem to have neglected to mention the trip to St Peter with Nancy a couple weeks ago. I ended up getting some grey DB pure silk (40% off) and a pattern to make a lacy bolero. I started it the following weekend, made it a decent way into the back and did something wrong (I’m not sure if I forgot to click a couple rows or if I just read the wrong line of the pattern). so it’s been sitting doing nothing while I try to figure out if I frog it or leave it. the problem with frogging is that I’m not so sure how to do that with a lacy pattern (too many yo’s and psso’s). the problem with leaving it is that I then have to figure out how to ‘duplicate’ it on the front pieces. so it sit’s, waiting.
I also got some green and black koigu that is seriously tempting me to make some socks. but what pattern?

last weekend I started a 4th Dulaan hat. I’m slogging my way thru the cable band right now. easy to remember pattern. (it’s from One Skein Wonders. I love that book.) just wish it knit up quicker. I suppose if it were a traveling project, it would be. but I’m using two strands held together, so it stays home. (I’m using a recycled thrift shop sweater yarn that’s a recycled silk/wool/who knows what else blend held with grey Paton’s wool.)

the CTH glitz socks are making some good progress. I frogged back the first one Tuesday night, but haven’t finished the toe yet. I had to frog cuz I was almost done working the heel and needed the needles out of it. sock #2 is at the decreasing after the heels point.

oh, and I forgot to mention the April progress for the UFO Challenge - I resurrected the Mother Bear. She’s been sitting so-close to being finished for far too long.

This weekend will be busy - I’m heading to Shepherd’s Harvest Saturday morning, scurrying back to St Paul for a last-minute pracice session for dance. then Sunday is the Twin Cities Feile (Irish dance competition) at the RiverCenter in St Paul. Saturday I will not be wearing any handknits (because I don’t think the temps will be worth wearing Fetchings - my sole finished object for myself). and I have straight shoulder-length hair as seen in the Harlot-visit pic. Sunday at the feis, I will have curly hair like the side pic there shows. Just so there’s no confusion. :) (unless I show up at the sheep fest after the feis with the curls. that might be fun…)

For reference, here’s last year’s meager attempt at Flashing. (I think that pic was actually taken in Feb or March and a bit fuller than that by April 1st.)

onward to this years…

The basket of wool - mostly Lion Brand and Paton’s. some is pegged for projects, some is leftover. The twisted hank of green is from the thrift shop and intended to be dyed one of these days, cuz I’m just not a fan of that green.

The top shelf there has some IKEA containers. on the left we have the kitchen cotton (two layers stacked. I think it’s all Sugar n Cream.). the center one has the 5 balls of Paton’s Divine I got at the Knit Out in February, and on the right we have some oddballs - some fun fur that’s destined to become a toy, the frogged lion hat, and a few other things.

The drawers and boxes. top drawer - leftovers. 2nd drawer - cottons and cotton-blends. 3rd drawer - oddball stuff from an ebay win. bottom two drawers, the fabric stash. the boxes - one contains a bunch of cones and oddments found at the thrift shop around this time last year. I forget if the second box contains more yarn or more fabric (or something else entirely). (EDIT: I think it’s something else entirely - namely photos. boatloads of photos from the days before I had digital. Yes, I take a lot of pictures.)

The stash containment zone (see last year’s pic for a compare/contrast). bottom shelf - large lots for sweaters, a bit of Lion Chenille and my Griffindor scarf yarn. 2nd up - lots of random yarns. 2nd down - the sock stash. it’s ready to burst out of there. top - the good yarns - Touch Me, CE Princess & Duchess, Koigu, and I forget what else. on top of it I have crates and stuff for my needles and other bits and bobs. (though sometimes the yarn overflows up there too). You probably can’t see it due to the flash reflection, but the stash is being protected by One Angry Sheep, who’s a member of the Bo Peep Gang.

and finally, we have one more box. this is the collection of thrift-shop-sweaters-to-be-frogged. the red on top is a sari silk/wool/etc blend that I got distracted by during the Knitting Olympics last year. there’s also a blend that’s pink/white/grey that you can see peeking - I forsee something for Amelia being made with it. and there’s some cream sweaters buried that I’ll use to play with dyeing.

I think that’s all the yarn.

On to the needle collection:

The straight needles - mostly just the glitter collection and a few other ones. I rarely use straight needles, but I have a weakness for the glitter.

the basket of circulars. I’m planning on donating anything that’s not a 12″ or 16″. (unless someone wants to swap for them. sizes 3, 4s, 6, 7s, 10 1/2? in 24″ and/or 29″ lengths)

my dpns in the case I sewed up. it should be nearly full, but the ‘felting’ size needles seem to be running around in the WIPs. actually, so are some of the smaller ones too.

the reasons for the circular purge: my Denise set and my Knit Picks circular set. I also have the 16″ & 24″ sock-size (0-3) KP needles and some of the longer cords for both sets.

I don’t mind having so many needles, cuz they’re tools, and I don’t have too many duplicates. The yarn, on the other hand, scares me a little. Especially since I still feel a ‘need’ to buy yarn, even though I have plenty. I’ve been doing alright lately - haven’t added too much to the stash and have been trying to knit from it as well. But I’m not sure if this is a temporary feeling or if I’ll cave soon enough and start acquiring more.

Yes, once again I am participating in Flash Your Stash. I started taking pics last night (stash overall and the needles) and got overwhelmed at the thought of the yarn & WIPs (more the WIPs), so I took a break. We’ll do that tonight. I’m also hoping to get the WIPs out for WIP it Out the day before.

Stay tuned.

Oh, and if anyone is doing dinner or something pre-Harlot and wouldn’t mind another person joining them, let me know. ;)

the snowflake sweater is nearly done. just need to finish up the neck ribbing, sew up the armpits, weave in the ends and figure out how to do the crochet edging. and while at this point it should probably be considered a gift, it’s not. we’re still going ahead with mittens for all.

which has resumed. I met up with Kelly at the gallery for some knitting (I also met both her dogs who attempted to help me knit on occasion.) She lured me with temptations like Scouts Swag and some Pirate yarn. Pretty colors. If I’d had money with me I would have bought some. That means I’ll have to go back. but back to the mitten knitting. since the sweater was to the point of needing a shorter needle, I pulled out mittens. I almost finished the first of Amelia’s mittens (it still needs a thumb), and then I started the ribbing for the BIL’s pair. since the sweater is nearly finished, I foresee much more mitten knitting in my future. and I’m feeling confident that they’ll all be done by the New Year (which is when we do the holiday visiting).

in other news, I’ve joined Socktopia - a sock KAL. one of my goals for next year is to turn the sock yarn stash into wearable socks. for me (and dh). hmmm. I should start thinking about the rest of my ‘knit year’ resolutions for 2007. (and what I’ll do for gifts next year, since almost everyone has a hat/scarf/mitten set now. and I don’t want to save kid sweaters for the holiday, due to fears of outgrowing.) hmmm…. much to think about while mitten knitting.