January Round-up

This won’t be the most inspiring round-up since no WIPs became FOs this month; stash-in is greater than stash used. But there *was* meeting-up!!!

The adventures of GlenvArgh! continues. 

• Earlier in the month I suspected that it wasn’t so much the pattern that was cursed, but the yarn, when a stitch broke on a row below while I was making a cable.  After some surgery, and more careful manipulation while cabling, progress advanced.
• At the weekend, our car was broken into and my Jordana Paige Knitting bag was stolen out of the boot. I had left GlenvArgh! very obviously sticking out of the bag, in the hopes that any tempted thief would realise it was “only” a knitting bag and not proceed. I’m helpful like that! But would they listen? They left the WIP and took the bag and it gives me some pleasure imaging their disgust to find it contains nothing more than knitting accoutrements.
• As you can imagine, GlenvArgh! is somewhat in shock – as am I! Thankfully, my bag was recovered and is languishing down at the Garda Station. I’m hoping that it still contains the ball of wool I was using (not that I’m short of wool for this project, I have several km!)

A Sooper-Sekrit Project begins.

• I’m a bit amazed with myself in that I actually sat down and started to write a pattern. Initially, I would have rather had some teeth pulled that sit and focus. Then suddenly I was plugging numbers into an Excel spreadsheet and acting like Neo from The Matrix. I could SEE into the columns of numbers and could understand what they meant.
• I’m a little concerned about the sizing however. According to the chart for children’s sizing that is linked to by Knitty, my eight-year-old daughter is four! I understand that she is quite slight but I’m in a quandary to know whether I a) go with her chest-size and ignore the American-based sizing system or b) make her top with several inches of positive ease??
• On the plus side (no pun intended) when the submission guidelines for Knitty – First Fall were updated the submission date has moved back a month. So I may use this time to test-knit a few more sizes.

Controlled Stash-Enhancement

• I’ve already blogged about my two stash-enhancements: Ember and Myriad, both from EasyKnits.co.uk. These were pre-planned and part of a controlled programme that I’m going to try to stick to this year.
• The big test was being in TIK yesterday for the January Spin-in. I touched, I inhaled but I did not consume! I’m very proud of my restraint. (Okay, so I bought some buttons and some stitch markers… that’s not the same thing!)

Skein-a-Month Spin-A-Long

• I’m so thrilled by the response we’re having over on the Irish Spinners group on Ravelry to the Skein-a-month Spin-a-long idea. It seems to have rejuvenated the group. All the different entries are so inspiring. And, as a newbie, I’m learning so much just from listening to the other spinners describe their work.
• I’m amazed by my first proper skein – Eyjafjallajokull. 300 meters of DK(ish) weight yarn. I’m excited to day-dream about what it will grow up to be.
• I’m already planning my February skein and – with the new moderator’s imprimatur – we’ll have a little competition brewing.

Social Knit-work

• The big high-light of the month is that SusyMcQ (a.k.a. @WrapNTurn) decided to come up to Dublin for a spinning workshop and stay with me on the Saturday night.
• I had the brainwave of getting in touch with some of my regular commentators here on my blog and arranging for us all to have a night-out (there’s an incentive for yiz to comment more!).
• It was a great success – what a riot! We’re so lucky to have a great bunch of Knitty/Tweety/Ravelers that all get on well in real-life.
• There were some complaints of sore heads the following day – most notably from @SineadR and @Clarabel. I got away more lightly than I deserved.

Final Round-up:

• FOs = 0
• WIPs = 2
• Frogged = 1
• Yarn in = 400(Ember)+300(Eyjafjallajokull)+452(Myriad) = 1,152m
• Yarn out = indeterminate, but probably much less than yarn in!… //sigh//
• Meet ups = 1 biggie, involving 12 “knitweepellers”

Stash: EasyKnits Sock Club 2 – Ember

My second (and last) stash aquisition for January arrived the other day – the first instalment of the Sock Club from EasyKnits.co.uk.

What a beauty? Again, he has a rich array of colours and tones – from hot pinks to sizzling yellow with some brooding browns and roaring reds thrown in. It’s perfect for the pattern he has included with the skein: Ember – twisted-stitch patterns forming a flickering flame and hour-glass motifs on a reversed stocking-stitch background.

I kinda can’t get over the value for money I’m getting. A custom-dyed skein of Blue-faced Leicester in an exclusive colourway; a pattern especially written for the skein and a little gift – this time a little container of hand-cream from Lush – and all for only GB17stg (dagnammit! can’t remember where the pound-sign is on this keyboard!) That translates into €20 or so, including shipping.

For once I’m not just teasing you all, however. I got an email from EasyKnits.co.uk that sign-up is open for Sock Club 3.

If you like what you see, sign-up here to book your place. Sign-up stays open for a month. Only then do you have to confirm that you still want to take part when EasyKnits send you a PayPal payment request.

I’ve signed up. Won’t you join me? I know you want to…