Sock yarn stash enhancement

Remember not so long ago, I was just lamenting about the fact that I had too much yarn........ well more yarn arrived at my doorstep today. (It's a sickness, I know).


Here is a picture of my current sock yarn stash - including 3 skeins of Opal Rainforest - Tiger, Zebra and Flamingo, some Regia and Schanenmayr stripey socks.....).


Question - how many pairs of socks have I knitted? Only one toddler pair so far. One adult pair is on the needles and going well. But what possessed me to order another 9 100g balls of sock yarn is really beyond me. (Actually, it was because they were only 3.75 - 4.50 Euros each) But here they are. (I have to be thankful for one thing, I haven't started buying the expensive sock yarn - like Lorna's Laces, Posh yarns, Fleece Artist, Socks that Rock - YET!)

Here's my progress on my current sock knitting. The yarn is Regia Mini Ringels in blue and the pattern is Tech Guy from Magknits. It's a fairly straightforward knit 3x1 ribbing. I've only ever knitted a heel flap, so I was interested in learning a short row heel. Very interesting and easy. Hopefully, I'll produce a PAIR of socks soon.

Lortop bag

I bought the Cornelia Tuttle Noro Revisited book just for this pattern. I saw an advert in one of the American magazines and thought, I love this bag and I must get the pattern. Bought the book. Dug around in my stash (there'll be more about my stash!) and found 3 skeins of Noro tubu (long discontinued) which was perfect. Dug around for size 12mm needles. A few nights later. Bag complete. Love it. Used it today but the strap has stretched loads. Maybe I should felt it?? (Hmmm, must use proper sentences!!)


Now, I'm going to write about my stash. It's huge. It's even bigger than I remember. I have spent the last 2 or 3 afternoons photographing and cataloguing and I am nowhere close to completing the task just yet. I have a lot of yarn. I need to knit a lot faster. I need to stop buying yarn. I must have 300 balls of yarn. I need to join Yarnaholics Anonymous. I'll show you the evidence when I finish. Oh dear....

Keira, my 2 year old, has been refusing her afternoon nap for a few months now. It has been fine for her, not so much for me as I still look forward to a power nap for me. Now with 2 wide awake monsters, oops sorry, children, I don't get a chance to nap. But sometimes, she gets so excited and runs arounds so madly, that her batteries just run out. Just like that. Here she is collapsed on the chair when I had my back turned for 2 minutes. Aidan just wanted to get in on the picture!!

Converting the masses

I have converted one ex-knitter into a new very interested knitter. Hurray me!!! My sis-in-law was watching me knit every knit for the last 10 days and decided to get in on the action too. After one little swatch, she was hooked. She decided that she would like a cami, something like the Honeymoon Cami. So I set her up with some blue Cotton Fleece which I had in my stash and she's making progress.

The one good thing out of this knitting encouragement, she lives in Hong Kong (with cheap yarn) and travels a lot to Japan (lots of Japanese patterns and yarns like Noro!!) and China.

I'm making very little progress on the rest of my WIPs. I have finsihed 2 beanies in Rowan Big Wool but forgot to take any photos before they were gifted. Sorry for the lack of photos today.

The one good thing about this cold spell we're having, I really want to make some lovely, comforting knits. Roll on winter....

Hectic week

I am officially exhausted!! The in-laws descended last Wednesday, renovations in their new place are running into overruns, so they are staying with us. When I say in-laws, I don't just mean my FIL and MIL, this includes Bro-in-law and wife. 6 adults and 2 toddlers is just too many people in the house. The madness will, thankfully, end this Sunday.

I think because of this, I have been unable to focus on anything for more than 3 seconds! I started a bolero/boobholder thang for a friend. Its a top down raglan and knitted in Debbie Bliss Cathay in black. Makes for a very uninteresting photo.
Next up, I've started on my second pair of socks. I'm using Regia Mini Ringels in shades of blue. I'm knitting it in a basic ribbed pattern. As you can see, progress is slow.
As you know, I've also joined the SKC knitalong over a month ago. We're knitting Tempting II. This is an extremely slow knit for me, 1x1 ribbing is not my best friend. Having said that, I'm almost at the sleeves. Watch this space.



I've also managed to finish 3 lil items as well. 2 beanie hats from Rowan Plaid collection. One adult sized for FIL who's going through chemotherapy at the moment and one matching kiddie sized for Aidan. I was also going through my stash and found a small mountain of odd balls which I bought off ebay years ago, for making dolls and dolls clothes. Here's the first item of clothing. The doll is Vanessa, a Groovy Girl.

Another FO

Well, it's actually an almost FO. It's the Lotus Blossom Tank. I've made a few modifications to it. I changed it from this


to this.

Basically, I got a bit fed up with frogging and re-knitting the top. I know my gauge was a bit off, so I did the maths and adjusted the stitch count. But it was still too big - like 3 inches too big. After the second rip, I decided to cut my losses and made it into a strappy tank instead. I've crocheted some straps which I will attach it properly and sew up the last few ends. Overall, I'm pleased with it. Pattern notes:
Pattern : Lotus Blossom Tank, Interweave Knits Summer 06 ("some modifications")
Yarn: Rowan Linen drape in Reed shade 845. (A friend described it as "washed out & murky", but I like it!) 4 balls used.

On other news, I have been going a bit mad with the stash enhancement. I got a whole bunch of stuff at Get knitted (which I will have to show at another time - there was loads!!!!) and recently, even more stuff at Celticove.

Here's the close up, - Rowan All Seasons cotton in Misty shade 170 (14 balls -something for hubby), Mocha choc 212 (12 balls - something for me!) and Blackcurrant shade 211 (5 balls - something for Keira) and Rowan Wool Cotton August in shade 253 (10 balls - something from Rowan 40 for me I think!)


Here's the mountainous shot. Question, where am I going to hide this from hubby?!!
Other news, I received my new Rowan mag on Saturday. Totally out of the blue and I was very impressed with the new collection. There's loads of this which I would make (hence stash acquisition!). On my shortlist:
Dew
Eva
Cobweb
Sorrel
Anna socks (although I think I need to be a whole lot taller and have skinny legs - otherwise I'll look like I have stumps!)
Sadie
Kay
Juno (the cost of 17 balls ofwool cotton would be off putting for this!)
Pampas

Check it out here at
Rowan