Soup to Nuts

All in one post we go from...

...the receipt of the May Yarn on the Month Club which contains the newsletter, a tank pattern, and yarn (clockwise from upper left):

• Bamboo by Be Sweet
  5 sts/inch on US 6s
  100% Bamboo
• Pomaire by Araucania
  5 sts/inch on US 7s
  100% Pima Cottom
• Pima Silk by Frog Tree
  5 st/inch on US 5s
  85% Pima Cotton, 15% silk
• Bali Sky Sarong by Mango Moon
  3.75 sts/inch on US 9s
  

Frog Tree is a not-for-profit that supports herders, spinners, dyers, and knitters all backed up with a Fair Trade pledge.

Mango Moon works with women in Bolivia, Bali and Nepal who dye and spin this recycled silk yarn.

I've mentioned Be Sweet before. They have great impact in South Africa with job creation and school support programs.

Auracania was started with the goal of introducing traditional products to the world beyond Chile.



... to the completed swatches. Next month I'll pay more attention and lay them out in the same orientation for both photos.

• Bamboo by Be Sweet - I knit this at 6 sts/inch on US 6s. Supple and fun to knit although it did split quite a bit. I have a skein of their laceweight mohair that I'll swatch soon. Destined for a beret (no surprise there)
  
  
• Pomaire by Araucania - This swatched at 4.75 sts/inch on US 7s. Also very soft and a beautifully subtle color change that I don't think captured well in the photo. This would be easily wearable and durable (I expect). Would be nice for some knit softies.
  
  
• Pima Silk by Frog Tree - My gauge at 5.5 st/inch on US 5s. Another winner. Soft with a nice sheen.
  
  
• Bali Sky Sarong by Mango Moon - 3.5 sts/inch on US 9s in my hands. This one's puzzling, fun, like a little yarn party, but to do with it? Could easily end up featured on What not to Knit.
  

In the future, in addition to the YOTM posts, I'll be doing monthly yarn reviews for Knit's a Beautiful Life.




Z and I recently made pizza. A big hit. Dough from Trader Joe's (so worth the long trip, for us), Newman's sauce, Shredded Mozzarella, Fresh Ricotta, and Avo.

Like that little Avo smeared face?

My advice: Get that dough as thin as humanly possible and crank that oven ALL THE WAY UP. We kept the baking sheet in the oven the whole time and transferred the pizza in and out using parchment paper and a cutting board.

I also advise reading Jeffrey Steingarten's essays - one of which focuses on trying to cook pizza on his Weber grill and getting it so hot that it melted the paint off!

He's the food writer for Vogue magazine. No really, I get it for the articles :-)

So not spinning... yet.

Assembled materials: spindle, fiber and directions.

Now...
I'm a relatively intelligent woman.
I've done research.
Searched the net and youtube.
Watched tutorials.
Read descriptions.


And I just can't seem to get this to all work out.
For God's sake, I can weld and I can't do this?!?!?



I'm going to keep at it. Think I may need some in-person support.
I have a call in to the resident expert at the LYS but haven't heard back yet.
Anyone out there want to be my lifeline?


On a happier note... Yarn of the Month Club for April is swatched (clockwise from upper left):

• Tatmy Tweed by Kraemer Yarns - I knit it at 4.25 st/inch.
  Easy to knit and soft but, mweh. Nothing distinctive, plus it's got a bunch of acrylic in it. Listen to me! What a snob.
  

• Breeze by Karabella Yarns - The only one I knit to projected gauge at 5.5 st/inch.
  Winner by a long shot. A beautiful light weight silk/cashmere. I may have to add this one to the list using the lovely tank pattern that came with this month's yarns.

• Laser by Feza - I knit it at 5.25 st/inch.
  Wierd, something so... how you say it, artificial. Can't imagine what one would ever knit with this. And I had such high hopes.

• Balance by O-Wool - I knit it at 4.75 st/inch
  Again with the O-Wool, good ethics but nothing I'd want against my skin. It's a little "sticky".

And a little present to myself. Malabrigo Kettle Dyed Pure Merino. I'll just call her "yum".
In Verdes. To celebrate the coming of spring. I've been told it really is on the way.

What should she become?

A scarf? Fingerless Mitts? Who has advice? A pattern to suggest?

Holy Mother of Tasty Yarn Cakes!

A present from my Mom. A dreamy drop spindle kit from Louet.
Can't wait to give it a spin (sorry - couldn't resist). Thanks Mama!!!


A thrifted sewing book...

Gift for Littlest Sis, mother of Moonpie (soon-to-be-two-years-old).
God knows, Mama's deserve gifts! Happy Almost Birthday, Moonpie!



WIP for aforementioned Moonpie b-day. As soon as this is posted I'm heading off to knit. I'm guessing another 2 days.

You'll be please to know that this is the Blue Sky Alpaca Cotton discovered via the Yarn of the Month club.
I had sworn an oath of utility and am following through.

This yarn is the stuff of dreams.


Lastly - Ordered some yarn for a KAL which will be announced shortly. Any advice/tips for starting a KAL?

Aspiring to skills matching my inspiration

After repeated attempts to photograph myself modeling the completed berets, I've booked a facial and a haircut. Maybe, soon, it will all work out.

In the interim, recently arrived Japanese crafting goodness...
(good god, I love yesasia.com!)

and some WIPs.

YOTM swatching

Can you guess what this will be?

Little baby cape

New Knitty is up. Some really exciting patterns.

I'd like to try: bmp, ester, and (definitely) clessidra.

I should make a sidebar list of all the things in my must-do list so a I can prioritize and structure my time well.

There are some birthdays coming up and I'd like to not deliver late! :-)

Now, that's more like it

Feeling human again. Such a nice recharge.

Back to business.

Two Purl Bee berets - started and finished on the beach. Will model as soon as my hair is washed.

It's still a little "beachy", if you know what I mean.


Continued thanks to Miss Julie for the gift that keeps on giving.
YOTM for March was waiting in the mail box.
Four supremely beautiful lace weights in addition to the newsletter and scarf pattern .

(listed clockwise from lower left)

1. Pastimes by Conjoined Creations, 100% Soy Silk
2. Meloso Lace by Lanas Puras, 100% Wool
3. Misti Alpaca Lace by Misti Alpaca, 100% (you guessed it) Baby Alpaca
4. Merino Oro by Ornachi Filati, 100% Wool

I am your swatching servant.

Lastly, in answer that nagging question, "Can you mail a coconut?" we answer, "Yes, indeed"!

Muchas Gracias, Miss Julie! Te Amos :-)

Hearty Heartkins

Beautiful flowers from Hubby yesterday. I heart him.

We three traded cards and candies. The card Hubby gave me plays "Wild Thing" and Z enjoys an accompanying interpretive dance. A real showman.

If I figure out how to get the blasted videocamera onto the computer I promise to share. A veritable living room moshpit/Martha Graham.



Some Knitty Gritty Goodness from Keri. See that touch of pink in the roving? Notice the sinful alpaca yarn? Adore the lovely little lined bag (of which I was unable to get an interior shot showing the perfect contrasting fabric and pockets)!! What a total joy!

A little post V-Day mush here: What a great community this is...

Thank you Keri - shipping a little something your way tomorrow. :-)

Now - who has advice on hand dyes and spinning? Think I need a drop spindle and would like some recommendations. And dyeing - before or after spinning? I need your knowledge, please.


Swatches of YOTM complete. All knit to projected gauge this time.

(reporting clockwise from bottom left)

The Aurora 8 is very tubular, which I like. Super soft but I'm not wild about the colors in the variegates. Lots of choices in the solids, though.

Soft Tweed by RYC is delicious for a chunkier knit. The most complex composition. Beautiful, subdued colors.

Country by Rowan. Superchunky. Knits so quickly. The colors are subtle, to say the least, but I think that's a Rowan thing. "Birch" is a beautiful colorway.

And lastly, the come-from-behind-kid. This Smooth DK by King Cole really surprised me. Don't usually go for the "un-naturals" (call me a snob if you must) - but this stuff was great. Would be perfect for someone with wool sensitivities.

All four had wonderful stitch definition and I enjoyed swatching them. Not sure I'll be using them in the future though. All in all - good learning and good fun. I really do recommend the YOTM club.


Bottom left here is the baby shrug on which I posted last go-round. Love the vintage patterns. Have made good progress and anticipate finishing this weekend. Think I may add some embroidery along the collar or bottom edge. Again, advice and/or opinions welcome.


Also got the yarn to make the little cape in the middle. Light green for MC and the light brown for the CC. These Plassard patterns are adorable! Made the little kimono sweater on bottom left last year and it was dreamy.

Just pulled a Chocolate Oblivion Truffle Torte from the oven. My Firm holds a fundraising auction during the Holidays and I offered up a cake. Delivery is tomorrow.

Seriously, this thing is built from 1 lb. of bittersweet choco, 1/2 lb. butter, and 6 eggs. God help us all.

Tractor cake success! One happy boy, one yummy cake, another year passed!

Added 3/4 cup of pureed strawberries and 6 drops of Wild Strawberry Essence to the America's Test Kitchen (aka Cooks Illustrated) All-Purpose Buttery Yellow Cake.

Rather than icing, which would have obscured some of the "tractorness", I used a glaze made from milk, powdered sugar, and food coloring followed by sugar sprinkles.

When we asked Z what he wished for when he blew out the candles he said "Candles."
You're in luck little man!



Yarn of the Month - February Edition
(clockwise from bottom left)

Aurora 8 Spaced Dyed by Karabella
4.5 st/inch on US 8
100% Wool

Soft Tweed by RYC
3 st/inch on US 11
56% Wool, 20% Viscose, 14% Polymide, 10% Silk

Country by Rowan
2.5 st/inch on US 13
100% Wool

Smooth DK by King Cole
5.5 st/inch on US 6
100% Acrylic

with a pattern for a little XOXO cardigan. No newsletter this time.

I really love this club - I get to try yarns that I would have never on my own. This month has more range in terms of both composition, color, and gauge. Have a few gaps in my needle collection so off to the LYS today for some 11s (which I never had) and 13s (which the short one disassembled :-)

Swatches to follow shortly.

Check this out! One seriously DOOMED Sock of Doom. This is the sock that killed me in the Sock Wars tournament. I'm sad to have returned the favor (please no comments on the equally sad state of my rough heels :-)


Lots of WIPs - this the most recent. A sweet little shrug for a tiny new girl. Setsuko arrived on January 30 (the day before Z's bday) at 7 lb 9 oz. Can't wait to meet her in person!

This is a vintage pattern and so sweet and quick. All these photos make me realize that if I posted more regularly I could share incrementally.

Ah... another goal :-)