Yarn Haul!

My yarn order came a day early! Most of the pictures show color pretty accurately, except the orange which totally looks like yellow, lol You can click on the photos for a close up to be able to read the yarn color on the label. I used flash on some and not on others. Mainly flash was only used when the color just wasn't showing very well.

Just a comparison, showing they really aren't the same color ;)

Yarn order for woolies.

I ordered a bunch of yarn from Knit Picks today. I got some of their Valentines sale yarn (good on pinks and reds only). I was able to get a couple skeins of the "Andes del Campo" since it was cheaper, but mostly just stuck with "Wool of the Andes" worsted. For about $52 I got enough yarn for 8 wool pants that will double as diaper covers. That works out to only $6.55 each! Those will last the baby through his 1st year, and if I frog and reuse the yarn even longer than that.

Since I was getting cheaper yarn, I didn't stick with just the sale yarn. I don't think I could stand for him to only have red pants, lol I really wanted to get some Full Circle in worsted weight, but they were out of the red : ( That's okay though, because I got a pretty good variety of colors. I should have some leftovers to make a funky stripped pair of pants too, so I may even get 9 pairs out of it.

I saved a picture from my checkout so I don't have to try to list all the colors, so here's that.

I figured two skeins, or 220 yards, should be enough to make 0-6 month sized pants (according to several longies patterns I looked at for reference) and 3 skeins for 6-12 month sizes. I got single skeins of the orange and black, because I plan on those being a super loud pair of striped longies ; )

I'll post a yarn haul with pictures when my order gets here. I should have my order by the end of next week : )

XMAS yarn haul

 As the title says, this post is a yarn haul. These are the yarns I got as gifts for Christmas (except one, but I'll get to that :).


This first yarn is from my husband. He told me I could pick out some yarn from Knit Picks as my gift from him this year. I usually buy my yarn from Knit Picks because I like the quality and their yarn is a lot cheaper than comparable blends and quality yarns from other brands. Both colors are the same kind of yarn; Wool of the Andes bulky weight. It is hand wash so not exactly easy care, but isn't supposed to pill and should last for a very long time. It isn't really soft, but I don't really care as I will be making sweater tunics out of it and will be wearing them over another shirt for added modesty and comfort.

 This is the color "Juicy." I picked this color because it is bold and fun and should go great with black leggings/skinnies or the thigh-highs I had started. Just FYI, I plan on making this long enough that it will be more dress than tunic.

This is the color "Polar" and is reminiscent of icy mountain peaks. I liked the concept behind  this colorway and thought it was great for a more muted look that would be great for winter and would go good with jeans. I am not planning on making this tunic as long as the pink one as I plan to always wear this with jeans or pants and not stockings. I am also planing on making arm warmers for this tunic, but haven't decided if I will for the pink one.

The next yarn I picked out using the very generous gift certificate I received for a local yarn and needle craft store. It was fun to go into the store for the first time and see all the yarn that is usually out of my price range. I had a $100 gift certificate and spent it all on one bag of yarn. I went in looking for an easy care cotton blend in a peachy color in a dk weight. I didn't find exactly what I was hoping for, but am happy with what I selected.

 As you can see from the pictures I picked out yarn by Cascade. I have never used this brand of yarn before because of the hefty price tag. This yarn was $11.50 per 191 yard hank so it was $103.50 for the bag of 9 hanks. This isn't the soft peach I was going for, but it is a pretty salmon color that will work nicely and be bright and fun for summer. It is a worsted weight, so a bit bigger than what I was thinking of, but that is just fine. This is the Cascade "Sierra" yarn so is a 80% Pima Cotton and 20% Wool blend. I am hoping the wool helps add a bit of springiness to the yarn (but not too much!) and will make it a bit warmer for summer nights.

I am still planning on using this yarn for a self-designed spring/summer short sleeved tunic. I decided about adding extra beads or glittery thread for embellishment and think I will just use a more interesting stitch for added interest around the neckline. I am hoping to keep it simple and elegant but very wearable. I am not sure how washable this yarn is. I have never used it before and have found conflicting reviews online. Some people say it washes great in the machine, while others say washing it ruins it. I think I will try washing it in the machine, but on a gentle/delicate cycle only.

I am excited to use this yarn because it is the most "high-end" yarn I've ever had. I wish I could start working with it now, but I still have Christmas knits to complete and will probably do the cold weather tunics before doing this warm weather tunic. The yarn feels nice and has a pretty sheen to it, so it will be interesting to see how the finished product turns out.

 This next yarn is yarn I purchase while picking out yarn from my gift certificate. I wanted to get some sock yarn to knit a pair of socks for a friend, but didn't really want to order one skein of yarn over the internet. I am happy that I found something that will work.

This yarn is not the typical wool sock yarn that I usually use. The friend I will be making these socks for lives in a southern state and I wanted the socks to be wearable for more than a month or two out of the year. This is Kraemer Saucon Sock yarn in the color "Lime." It is 44% cotton, 43% acrylic, and 13% nylon. I would have preferred more cotton or nylon and less acrylic, but the yarn feels good and will be easy care. I picked this color because I thought it would go very nicely with the lacy wave-like sock pattern I picked. I have never used yarn from this brand before, but given it was $12.50 for this one skein I am expecting it to be good quality.

There you have it, the entire yarn haul. I got some very nice yarn and am excited to get started on these projects as soon as I finish the Christmas knits I have going now.

Happy New Years!!!

Progress update and future plans.

The "Hourglass" socks are coming along well. It is too bad that I wasn't able to complete all the Christmas knits on time, but it is what it is. I am halfway done with the foot area, so I am nearly done (top down socks). After this pair of socks are completed I will have a scarf and another pair of socks (maybe two) to knit up before completing my Christmas knits for this year. I am hoping to be all done within three weeks.

I have a few projects planned once my current queue is done. I want to make a knit tunic for myself (chunky yarn), finish those thigh-highs, finish the jacket for my husband, and I am planning a new project. I met nearly all my goals for this year with knitting, so I am thinking about new goals for 2012. I want to get into designing more and following other people's patterns less. This isn't really a problem for me since I am a progress knitter, but the problem comes in having a written pattern if I want to share with others. I want to get into designing and making patterns as it seems like I can never find a pattern for exactly what I want to make.

I was given a gift card to a local store that sells yarn and needlework supplies. I have never been in there, so I am excited to see what all they offer! I have decided what I want to make and what kind of yarn I want to use, but I need to come up with the technical aspects of it so it looks like I envision. I want to make a short sleeved tunic for spring/summer. I am thinking I want to find a dk weight cotton yarn in a light peachy color and keep the design of the tunic simple and feminine.  I am thinking of pairing it with light colored capris or skirt and a pair of wedges or flats (assuming I have the money to buy those things, lol). I am still trying to decide if I should include some kind of embellishment at the neckline (thinking either beads or glittery thread held along a white or cream colored yarn). So far all I have is a sketch. I need to actually buy a book and read up on designing and pattern making.

I hope to go shopping for the yarn for the spring tunic tonight. I hope to get the kind of yarn I want (don't care what brand it is). Depending on how much money is left after the yarn for the tunic, I will probably try to get some fun colors for summer things for the girls. I was thinking that some bright stripped summer skirts or dresses would be fun. At some point I want to pick up some chunky yarn for my 7-year-old, but I want her to finish the scarf she is currently crocheting first. I hope she finishes the scarf before winter is over. She wants to learn knitting, but I don't think she is quite ready for that yet.

I need to get back to working on the "Hourglass" socks. I am really hoping I can get them finished before the week is up. If I power knit all this evening I should be able to get the rest of the foot done and then work the toe tomorrow. I will update as soon as the socks are done and on the blockers!

Irritated with Knit Picks.

I really like Knit Picks as a whole. Their website is easy to use, their needles and yarn all seem to be affordably priced yet superior in quality...so why am I so irritated with them? Simply put, they won't sell me the yarn I so desperately want! I have been waiting for the Gloss Fingering yarn in the color Jade for awhile now. I want it to make a classy scarf for a classy man whose favorite color is green. It is the perfect color in the perfect blend for the perfect scarf for the man I intend to use it for. Only problem is that Knit Picks isn't making it available.

A few weeks ago the availability of the yarn was marked for October 5th. October 5th came and the yarn said "available soon." Part way through the day it changed to "available 10/10/11." I have a whole order waiting on the availability of this yarn, so I was a little irritated that it changed. Well, today is the 10th of October, and the availability tag has been reading "available soon" for several hours already. I am scared it will get changed again to next week.

I know that the yarn will be fantastic, as I ordered some in black previously. It has a beautiful sheen to it from the silk, and the merino wool is super soft. I haven't decided if I am going to use the black to make a scarf for my father, or use it to make a couple pairs of socks in the Tribute pattern. This would be perfect for my 5-year-old daughter who loves all things black, and I might like a pair of socks for myself or a lacy scarf even (or some lacy wristlets! I have never made wristlets before!.

I am especially frustrated over the fact that I have an entire order hinging upon the release of this yarn. Every order from Knit Picks over $50 gets free shipping. I have sock blockers, and two fixed circular nickle plated needles in my cart. I need $10 more to get free shipping. I would hate to pay for shipping for this order then turn around and pay shipping for the next order within a few days or a week. I am not so keen on paying shipping charges ever, so it would really irritate me to pay for shipping twice if I could have avoided it altogether.

My issue is that I need those sock blockers and needles to work on the 3 pairs of socks I have planned for Christmas knits. I could really use them for the Tribute socks I am working on now. I am using a 2.5 mm needle to increase the size of the sock, but would like to switch to a size 2.25 mm when I reach the foot area, then use a 2 mm needle for the toe area. I have both 2.5 mm and 2 mm, but I am missing a needle in that middle size. I am wondering how long I will end up waiting until I can order the needles and blockers I need. It will take me several days to finish the leg, heel, and gusset sections of the sock, so it will be a little while until I need the 2.25 mm needle. There is also the issue of the free shipping taking about a week until I get my order. I may be working on scarves only for a couple weeks.