I've got blue skies

And it's in my yarn.

I love Koigu Kersti

I have just been all over the place lately, especially knitting-wise. I finished a pair of socks, but not a matching pair, and then I picked up something new, so that's 4 different socks that I've started in the last couple of weeks.

Cannot. Focus.

Help.

I also started on this little number using Koigu Kersti, a yarn I have never used before.

The beginnings of Tate's sweater

The yarn is perfectly scrumptious, the colors oh so blue, the texture oh so soft. Just perfect as a baby sweater. I'm hoping to finish it this week and send it off - and Charlie! - to its intended recipient who just arrived a week ago. He's my high school buddy's first child (and in some weird way I feel like he's my first child too?), and his name is Tate. Tate. Love that name.

Comments [18]
Filed Under: Vestee

Everyone's received at least one letter. Right?

It's been two weeks since participants of the KLS have received their penpals and I hope I hope I hope most everyone has written and sent their first letters.

Yah? Please?

Here's my little pile of letters that I have received over the last few weeks.

Happy happy! Joy joy!

Ah, such a small wonder how letters can bring about a case of the warm and fuzzies inside. I particularly enjoyed being addressed as "[My name] & Feline Staff." That gave me a good chuckle.

I'd love to see photos of your letters, so if you've received yours, let me know!

And if you have not received your first letter yet, also let me know and I'll uh...I will...er...well I don't know what I'll do exactly, except to make sure that a letter gets to you asap. I have plenty of stationery left!

Comments [44]
Filed Under: Letter-writing

Another swap, anyone?

I have: Two skeins of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Amethyst Stripe
I want: Two skeins of the same yarn in a solid/semi-solid colorway (or equivalent sock yarn in a solid colorway). Firefly and Cranberry are really nice though I'm open to any colors - just need them to be solid.

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Amethyst Stripe
color 503 | dyelot 8610 | 215 yards each

Interested in trading? Lemme know!

Comments [11]
Filed Under: Yarn Stash

Definitely a favorite

I can't wait to finish these (Nancy Bush's Meida's Socks from IK's Favorite Socks). Fingers crossed that I don't run out of yarn. I've got only a skein of Lorna's Laces to work with. :-\ I figured if I was able to get away with these Child's First Socks using just a skein, I could probably do it with these. We shall see.

Comments [21]
Filed Under: Socks | Meida's

Desperate for Spring

Oooo. I am in a foul mood. Today we are experiencing what meteorologists up here in Boston love to call a "wintery mix." It starts as rain, with flecks of snow thrown in. That goes on for a hateful amount of time until you add some wind to it to get a hateful mix of driving rain and snow. Add some more of that hateful "blast of cold air coming in from Canada" now you've got an all-out blizzard. It's April and I hate it I hate it I hate it. These shenanigans would never happen in Barbados. Or Santa Fe (right?). Why am I still here?!

In knitting news. Kooch is at a point where I can actually start seaming. And yet, instead closing in on my first FO in over a year, I have this:

The Triumvirate of Sock. They can not be stopped.

Anna socks from Rowan 40 in Koigu.

Anastasia socks by pepperknit in Koigu again.

Meida's socks from IK's Favorite Socks, in Lorna's Laces.
LOVE this pattern.

What can I say. Tulips, magnolia and cherry tree blossoms and blue skies will not make their appearances here for another month yet. This is what I must do to tie myself over.

Desperate needs, desperate measures.

Comments [33]
Filed Under: Life | Socks

Get writing!

Despite that it's a dreary damp day, and that it's Monday, today is a good, sunshiney day. It's the first day of baseball season (SO excited about that). And it's the official start of the Knitterly Letter Swap! I spent all of yesterday checking and re-checking the list of sign-ups, and firing off emails with the names and addresses of your penpals.

Everyone who signed up should have received an email from me with your penpal's information. If you think you have signed up but received no email from me, please let me know.

I wouldn't be surprised if I messed up somewhere, given that I was expecting um, 30, 35 participants at the most, and received nearly 200!

The assignments were random for the most part, but I made sure that everyone would be writing to, or receiving a letter from, someone not in their state or country or their general vicinity. Obviously given that the majority of participants are from the U.S., most will have at least one penpal from the states. Overall though I tried to make the pairings as geographically diverse and as balanced as possible. 

At the end of the day there were participants from:

• 40 States (California and Massachusetts representing the largest numbers, and Colorado close behind)
• Canada - Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia
• Australia
• New Zealand
• UK - England, Wales and Scotland
• Germany, Finland, Austria
• Japan

Other tidbits:

• Ages range from 17 to 50's
• All female participants. Save for one. :)
• All knitters. Of course.

So hooray! Thank you all for participating and have fun writing!

Comments [24]
Filed Under: Letter-writing

Sign-ups now closed
Sign-up for the KLS will close at 3:00PM Eastern Standard Time TODAY!

Until then, click here to read about the Knitterly Letter Swap and join!
Edit: Sign-ups for the KLS has now closed. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING. The response has been really amazing. Look for an email from me this weekend, and in the meantime get your writing muscles warmed up!

And here is some Eye "Candy" Friday for you to use as writing "inspiration" for when you start your letter.

Very little motor control when writing this.

I made a lot of mistakes in this letter to a knitterly penpal - that backspace key is awfully useful as it turns out  - but sent it anyway. They're a part of the letter's "charm." Really. :-\

Comments [7]
Filed Under: Letter-writing

That lion wool is looking pretty reasonable right about now

Just a few days after my post exploring the viability of lion wool, Duck was so kind enough to alert me to this article.  

Scientists create a sheep that's 15% human.

The possibilities for wool are truly limitless.

Above: Artist's rendering of a sheep, lion, and sheep-person farm, for the cultivation of fine wools.

Comments [14]
Filed Under: WTF