Common Kibitzing

Last Wednesday I got an email on Ravelry from Meghan, someone that I don't know. She said:

"Hi there,
I was poking around your projects and noticed that you had knit a small project out of some Knitpicks Gossamer in Caribbean. I was wondering if you had the rest of the skein still and would be interested in selling it to me? I am trying to finish a lace shawl and will run short, but I don’t really need another whole skein."

The color has been discontinued and I still have quite a bit of it so after a few more conversations, I dropped a couple partial skeins in the mail to her today. I didn't expect payment; didn't ask for it. I got it on clearance a long time ago and have no idea what I paid or what it's worth. I was just glad to help.

But I just got an email that she had purchased a pattern for me out of my queue. It's the Traveling Woman Shawl. How wonderful!

Today started out badly last night, when Dad discovered my right front tire was running on the metal core on the inside. So he forbade it's usage, handed me the keys to their car and made arrangements to take it in today. I asked him to have them check the brakes too since it's been shuddering almost violently when I step on the brakes, especially at higher speeds. I knew those were $95 tires and three of the four were the same age. The other one had to be replaced last year. 3 new tires and a front end alignment (Brakes were fine but alignment was really bad and that seems to be what was causing the shuddering). Total damage= $445.03 Ugh! Dad paid for it and added it to my loan. At this rate I'll never pay it off.

I hate driving Mom's car. It's so big and heavy that I feel like I'm just along for the ride and it's driving, but it's better than nothing. So I was having a bit of a "day"- computers were failing in my presence, people were being more helpless than usual, hair decided to be obstreperous...you know...one of those kind of days.

Then UPS brought my movies!!



When Mom invited me for dinner, she said she had received the knitpicks order. She was feeling bad because she couldn't find any yarn while she was in Alaska- and not for want of trying. She found lots of yarn shops with yarn but nothing that she felt was just right. So she and I had talked about it and looked at the knitpicks catalog. We both fell in love with the colors of the Imagination sock yarn (50% Merino, 25% superfine alpaca, 25% nylon). Almost all of the colors, as a matter of fact. So I left the color choice up to her. We also looked at lace weights with the idea that I wanted to make a shawl for my sister. I commented on a couple of lovely colors and chose a silver for my sister. And I asked her if she was making an order to order me a couple of packages of the harmony size 0 double pointed needles because I use them for everything in sock weight. I also commented that I'd love to get some of the 4 inch needles to try for gloves and it's too bad the 6 inch ones don't come in a set. So when she said she had the order, I was thinking one or two sets of needles, 3 skeins of lace weight for my sister's shawl and maybe two skeins of Imagination in one or two colors.
This is what arrived:


Imagination sock yarn in colors- Unicorn, Pixie Dust, Damsel, Enchanted Forest, Looking Glass, Mermaid Lagoon, Evil Stepmother, Fairy Princess, and Arabian Nights. (The names are fun too)



Lace weights gloss (sterling) and shimmer (Blue Glass and Elderberry)



Two sets of size 0 and a complete set of 4 inch (0-3, inlcuding two sizes of 1s --2.25 and 2.5mm)

Wow! It's like Christmas. I'm really hoping the Imagination works up as nicely as it looks. It's getting mixed reviews on Ravelry- some complaints of felting because of the alpaca (no matter how it's washed) and some color issues (bleeding and inconsistency) but others think it's wonderful. I guess we'll have to wait and see. It's definitely going to be a hand-wash lay flat to dry yarn.

So... a mixed bag today but I'd say the yarn is winning!

I haven't even picked up my needles in several months. I think I've been focused on the more practical things, like getting work moved and sewing clothes but I do miss my knitting. I was working on this shawl in a cornflower blue wool. I think I have hesitated because I'm still so disappointed in myself over my VES shawl that was ruined. I love the pattern and I love the yarn. So there is no reason why I should not work on it. Still I haven't. Hopefully, I'll get my knitting mojo back soon.

Here it is pre-blocking




And here it is blocking.


I'll post a picture after I unpin it.

I finally bought some patterns from White Lies Designs. Now I have to gather up the courage to start a sweater.

These are the patterns I purchased:

Evangeline


Alyce Tee


Krista Tee


Colette


And finally, my favorite: Ruby


I think I'll start with the Krista Tee. It's gotten good reviews for being easy and quick. Evangeline has not gotten good reviews so I think I'll wait until I'm a little more competent with sweaters to tackle it and Ruby. But Oh! I want Ruby so bad!