Love Shell

This yarn has been sitting on my coffee table for the last two months begging me to knit something with it.  Last night, despite the fact that I have plenty of projects on my needles, I could resist it no longer.  I started up my Sweater Wizard software and whipped up a pattern for a simple shell.  I believe that a beautiful yarn deserves a simple design to allow the yarn to be the star, and this yarn simply glows.  It is the April Art Walk Sock Yarn Club shipment.  The color is called Love, after the Andy Warhol painting and I certainly love it.  This will be a simple shell.  I have finished the ribbing and just started the body.

Yarny Goodness

There was much yarny goodness waiting for me when I returned from Bead & Button, all from two of my favorite yarn sources, The Unique Sheep and Zen Yarn Garden.

This gradiance set is for the next Unique Sheep Mystery Knit Along.  The colorway is November and the yarn is Ling, a lace weight mixture of superwash merino and cultivated silk.  I have never used this yarn before, but the colors glow.  I am not sure if I will stick with the beads that were provided or substitute another color.  It depends upon where the beads are placed.

This is the final shipment of the first round of the Stop and Smell the Roses club and I am delighted that it is a purple gradiance.  The yarn is Pima Petite, a cotton yarn, and another one that I have not used before.  The colorway is Purple Perfection.  Perfection indeed.

This yarn is for the Zen Butterfly Knits mystery knit along.  Two skeins of Serenity 20 (70/20/10 Superwash merion/cashmere/nylon) in Moon Purple and one skein of Serenity 20 in Bumble Bee.  This is the first collaboration between Zen Yarn Garden and Butterfly Knits and I am looking forward to this one.  The shawl was inspired by the classic science fiction novel The Day of the Triffids.

The latest selection in the Art Walk Sock Yarn Club, Butterflies, based upon Salvidor Dali's painting Landscape with Butterflies.  The yarn is Squooshy (80/20 superwash merino/nylon).  I may have to pick up an extra skein of this color, if they are available.

When I ordered my yarn for the mystery knit along I also ordered another skein of the April Art Walk Sock Yarn Club shipment, Love, based upon the Andy Warhol painting of the same name.  The yarn is also Squooshy.

And an extra skein of the May Art Walk Sock Yarn Club shipment, also in Squooshy.  The color is Petunias, based upon the painting of the same name by Georgia O'Keeffe.  I will probably make vests out of both of these colors.

And somehow this one of a kind color jumped into my shopping cart.  It doesn't have a name, only a number (201).  The yarn is also Squooshy.

Knitterati Mystery Sock - One Sock Finished

I finished up one of my socks today as well.  I seem to have caught the sock bug.  Rather than knit clue 2 for both socks I just plunged ahead and decided to finish one.  I am already about half way through clue 2 on the second sock.

Pattern:  Knitterati Mystery Sock by Janel Laidman
Yarn:  Little Red Bicycle Boneshaker BFL Sock in Heliotropium
Needles:  US 1 (2.25 mm)

Briar Rose Bolero - Finished!

I finished my first Camp Loopy 2012 project Thursday night, well in advance of the deadline, and I ordered my yarn for the second project.  I am taking the easy way out on the second project, though.  It calls for 800 yards and has to have a color from your country's flag.  I am going to do another one of my colorful pullovers out of Fiesta Yarns Boomerang.  I did a pullover for last year's Camp Loopy as well.  There are times when you want a challenge, and times when you don't.

Pattern:  Briar Rose Bolero by Ysolda Teague
Yarn:  Dream in Color Classy in Cold Fire
Needles:  US 7 (4.5 mm)

Bead & Button 2012

Well, I am back safe and sound from another Bead & Button show.  My car has still not been unpacked other than getting my personal things out.  We will unpack this weekend.  It has been a crazy busy 2 weeks.  I wanted to blog during the event, but there was neither the time nor the energy.  We did manage to do a little shopping before the show.  I picked up this lovely silk print skirt at a second hand store.

And a pashmina shawl at Artasia.  Artasia is a great store, it has all kinds of cool statues and furniture from Asia.

Even though I had my camera with me, I did not get many photographs.  But I did manage to get a friend to snap a photo of me and my sister at the Toho Bead Party.

Briar Rose Bolero - Sleeve Shaping Done

I've made great progress on my Camp Loopy project.  I am up to the shoulder shaping.  The instructions for the decreases for the sleeves is a little confusing, and I don't think I did it quite right, but it is close enough.  I kept the decreases along a single line, my line just may be shifted a stitch, but I don't think it will make any difference.  It has been a fun and speedy knit.  I even managed to fit in some trip preparations.  I've laid out some outfits for the trip, although I still need to pack.

I always bring my Afghani Nomad Dress.  The bodice is heavily beaded, and it is always a big hit at the show.  And of course matching jewelry and lace shawls is always important.  And Bruce and I even packed the Element.  But there is still more to go in.

Briar Rose Bolero - Both Sleeves Done

I finished up sleeve two this morning while watching bad SciFi on the SyFy channel.  I hate the fact that they changed their name to SyFy, just because they wanted to trademark it.  I think it would have been more clever if they had changed their name to PsiPhi, but of course no one asked me.  I also joined both sleeves to the body.

Now the fun begins.  Of course, what I really should be doing is getting ready for my trip tomorrow because it is time for the Bead & Button Show and I have to pack up my Element with all of the booth infrastructure and head out for points west.  Tomorrow I will drive to Ohio and rest a day while I visit my parents and then on Tuesday I will head to Milwaukee for 5 days of beads.  I have laundry to do and I have to figure out what outfits I am going to take and of course what knitting projects to take.  I'll definitely take this one, plus my mystery socks and probably the Little Wing shawl and maybe the Fresh Ink Cardigan.  That should keep me busy and keep me from getting yarn withdrawal while I am hanging out with all of those shiny objects.