stash season

autumn has arrived in Chicago with a clear-cut deliniation. a front marched in, dropped some thunderstormage and then it was jacket time. or more appropriately, sweater time.

I figured out how stashes get started, but I am committed to not growing my stash to overflow my one "stashbox". I can hear you right now saying, 'yeah, right', but I am serious. the only reason I have lingering yarn is because I had the project first and I wanted to find the yarn for the project, then I changed my mind... now, I have yarn that needs a project. the way to keep stash volume low is to commit myself to using the recently stashed yarn next... to find a project for the yarn. that is, following my next project.

today, I made a pattern purchase. another SKIF, Zena. I was toying with the idea of knitting Zena in a single strand of lux-y Malabrigo, but I am choosing to use some bamboo "tape" from Habu (A-157) as one of my two yarns, if I can. if not, I will try to find something similar (read: a flat, paper-ish, tape/ribbon yarn). the other yarn will be wool. I am going for a wool rather than a bamboo, linen or cotton mostly because I intend on making my Zena perform her sweaterly duties and keep me warm. and now, I have 6 skeins of worsted weight Malabrigo in my stash.

I am completely obsessed with the bamboo tape. its light, strong and flat. mixing the tape with a wool yarn will add complexity and texture...

Bellagio update: finished right front panel and all the transitions to the back. I am now knitting down the back and finally feeling like I am making real progress. "Noro Bellagio" is the name I gave this sweater on Ravelry, but I secretly call it my "Chaos Sweater" to wear as the world slips into chaos... and on that note, maybe I DO need a yarn stash.

stitch by brick

many weeks have past since my last post and my Bellagio should have that much work to show for it. it does not. my physical body has that much work on it, and since my job at the moment is fairly physically demanding, I am in pretty good shape. scratch that. I am in darned good shape, I reached my goal weight, and I feel fantastic! (just in time for my new job [a promotion] on Monday)

my sweater, however, is hobbling along (in addition to my writing skills)... my fingers may have not been knitting as much, but my mind and actions have been laying more support for it in the near future. since I have not written in a while, I will outline just a couple/few of the things I have done over the past several weeks.

Stitches Midwest.

I now have a set of exotic wood knitting needles... 3/4" square. Thank you so much, Joe! I figured out the approximate equivalent of gauge by taking the parimeter (3"), converting it to millimeters (76.19mm), and figuring diameter if the parimeter were a circumference (24.25mm). the needles are just shy of gauge 50 needles (25mm) I have (about) size 50 needles! I promised Joe that I would push my boundaries and think in a different box to make use of the needles. new challenges await.

The Habu textiles booth was amazing! so many beautiful and unusual yarns. color palletes I could bathe in. Janet bought the makings for kit-78 ("Kusha Kusha" scarf) I had surmised to myself in the recent past that I would be the first one of us to buy Habu. I guess not. I also think I will love Japanese knitting patterns... my visual/symbolic nature gets enabled.

Malabrigo Event @ Nina.

hung out with Tobias and Antonio and bought 6 skeins of Malabrigo Worsted (at 20% off) to become my next sweater. in Malabrigo. Black Forest 179. so soft. so beautiful.

My very first knitting circle attendance @ Sister Arts Studio.

wine, comfortable environs, good company, another attendee wearing SKIF. whats not to like? thank you, Donna! I had been looking around a while for a place that I would feel...

SKIF Trunk Show @ Sister Arts Studio.

today is a nice day for that, doncha think? Zena is queued up next... I feel like knitting.