Vacation yarn store purchases

Family drama/wedding drama aside, this vacation has been... Well, it's been.

At the moment, the family is gathered (in separate beach houses, fancy fancy!) on a resort island right outside Charleston, SC. The kiddies - cousins of my generation, who aren't really kids at all, as most of them are now in their 20s - are in the house by the creek populated by crocodiles. The grown-ups are in a larger, fancier house by the beach; we convene there for meals, served in shifts. I hope to take a walk along the beach there tomorrow; there is supposed to be a stretch of beach where one can see dolphins frolicking in the water.

On Thursday, my parents, my sister, and I managed to spend a few precious hours in Savannah, GA. I convinced them to accompany me to the LYS there, a place called Wild Fibres, right in/near the historic district. (Well, more like put up with my browsing whilst they waited... Details, details!) I was very restrained, leaving the store with just a few essentials: a pair of skinny stitch holders, a set of size 6 double point needles (in a nifty leather case - I already have a set, but I seem to need this size quite a bit for various projects, whether mittens, fingerless gloves, or hats, so another set seemed like a wise investment), and a new pattern to hunt down (a cute little baby dress that can be found in a Debbie Bliss book). That last item will come in handy, as I have yet another reason to knit - my cousin's itty bitty baby!

Baby A is about 5 months old, but is still rather tiny because she arrived 6 weeks ahead of schedule. She is the most precious baby in the world, I'm convinced of it! She is a very happy baby, who gurgles in the cutest way imaginable whenever anyone in the vicinity pays even the smallest bit of attention to her - and of course, no one can escape the irresistible pull of her cuteness, so she gets quite a bit of attention!

Today, despite a bunch of family drama, I managed to spend about 10, maybe 15 minutes in a yarn store in Charleston called, quite simply, Knit (on Wentworth, right in the historic downtown area). The store itself is located in a bright pink building, occupying a series of small, interconnected rooms. The yarn selection itself is comprised mainly of the usual, but much of the selection includes a bunch of my favorites - and quite a few that I don't usually encounter at my own LYS (stores, plural).

I was lucky enough that (a) I entered the sale room first; (b) my sister was there to comb through the sale merchandise (she's much better at that than I am); and (c) we (she) discovered purse handles on sale for 2 bucks a pair/apiece (depending on the length)! They aren't the fine leather purse handles I've been drooling over ever since the Knitter's Review review came out, but they'll do... And at that price, they are perfect! So I purchased a black pair of 13" handles (chocolate brown would've been ideal, but the only other pairs available were purple), and a pair of longer orange "alligator" handles, which I'm sure I'll find a use for one day.

My sister also helped me pick out a couple of potential buttons for the Brea bag closure. They were pricey (at $4 for one and $5 for the other), but they are beautiful... And then my impulse buy, a notions bag in kelly green with a bright pink zipper, emblazoned with a matching bright pink Knit store logo. I am quite pleased.

And now, I get to go back to finishing up a fingerless glove for the first Stash Club project... :o)

Off to wedding #4 (or is it 5??) this year...

Hmm, D&R, N&A, N&D/S&C... And now, Cousin G&V. Yup, it's definitely #4. It would have been #5 if I'd made it up to Providence for the boy's cousin's wedding. Let me tell you, these wedding attendance trips add up!

Cousin G is getting married on Sunday, Dec 30th near Charleston SC. Not much to say... It will be a big family reunion of sorts, which I have mixed feelings about. I'm sure I will be pleased to see everyone, but spending a few days stuck in a beach house with them will probably be overkill - and make me want to kill! :oP

Then there's the fact that Cousin G, who at 33-ish is the oldest of the cousins of that branch of the family, is marrying soon-to-be-Cousin V, who at 24 is nearly 4 years younger than I and barely older than my younger sister. This creeps me out a little bit. What is it with guys' desire to marry girls much younger than they themselves are?? I mean, I sometimes sense a generational difference between my sister and me - and she's only 4 years younger than I am. How much common ground can there be between two people with a decade's worth of time between them? Furthermore, V's recent Facebook posts make it oh-so-clear that she is a very young, very recent college graduate. And this girl to be my "new older sister" according to Korean tradition? Ye gods...

Then there's the whole bit with the rehearsal dinner... Umm, yeah, let's save the story of that whole drama-fiasco for another time and another post.

Well, at least my vacation knitting projects appear to be in order. I am about 40% of the way through with the Brea bag, and I am packing the December Stitch DC Stash Club project (Tilli Tomas fingerless gloves - may as well give them a go) to take with me. Hi ho, hi ho, and off I go...

Waiting for... StitchDC Stash Club's first shipment

It's here!! The first shipment for the StitchDC Stash Club is here! It arrived today, as I'd been hoping it would ever since I heard that Marie was printing out labels on Thursday and shipping on Friday. (According to the lady I spoke with at the Capitol Hill store, Stash Club-related chaos has kept Marie very busy since the announcement for the club initially went out.)

The package consists of two skeins of yarn and a pattern (with introduction to the Stash Club), stuffed into the clear shopping bag emblazoned with the gold StitchDC.

According to the intro, there are over 150 members in the Stash Club, and there will be "hand-dyed yarns from as close as Maryland and Virginia and as far as Australia. We are buying wool from an entire herd in Pennsylvania." Now how cool is that? :o)

Moving on... The pattern, called La Dolce Vita Glove #203 (design by Justine Moody, reprinted by permission of Tilli Tomas), is for a pair of ruffled fingerless gloves. I reserve judgment on the ruffly bits, but fingerless gloves seem to be all the rage these days.

The yarn, too, comes from Tilli Tomas: 1 skein of Mogul (100% Australian Merino wool with glass beads, 80 yds/ 100 g) and 1 skein of Aspen (100% Australian Merino wool, 130 yds/ 50 g), both in color Parchment, a dark beige-y shade. The color reminds me of cafe latte or perhaps of coffee diluted with plenty of cream. Or maybe of old, aged sheets of parchment, an image evoked by the very name of the color.

I'm not entirely excited by the color, but I am thrilled by the prospect of finally working with some Tilli Tomas yarn!

Now I just have to decide which project to lug to Charleston - the Stash Club fingerless gloves, the Woolwinders cabled bag, or the Alpaca Silk cowl neck scarf. Hmm... Decisions decisions!

Pre-trip prep

Many people, before a trip, make lists of things to pack and things to get done. For most of these people, this latter list usually consists of household chores and the like.

For me, my to-do list consists mainly of knitting-related items. For example, I am to (not in final, do-in-this-order order):

1. knit, finish, and block my mom's long-in-the-making sweater;
2. seam and block my Eyelet Cardigan;
3. knit and finish my sister's MaryElla bracelet;
   
4. stop by the tanning salon, as per my sister's instructions, so that my upper chest doesn't look ghostly-pale (whereas my arms are super-tan and my legs are ashy - a great look, let me tell you!);
5. exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! The moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!
6. remove all extraneous hair from all visible parts of the body, including eyebrows;
   
7. knit one more MaryElla bracelet and ship it and two other MaryElla bracelets to various friends around the country as (belated) Christmas gifts;
8. help my sister design her vacation knitting project - a simple cowl-neck scarf;
9. decide which prospective project(s) to take with me and pack appropriately, including all yarn, needles, and notions...

See what I mean?

And then there's the actual packing list, made a little more complicated because (a) there is a black-tie optional wedding involved (oh, to be a guy and be able to just pack a damn suit and tie... but then I'd miss out on all the pretty dresses!); (b) there will possibly be a rehearsal dinner (no one really seems to know, and everyone seems pretty loathe to pester the bride-and-groom with questions so close to the wedding hoopla); (c) the trip will include stops in three areas of the country (including the starting point, aka home), which means three distinct weather regions; (d) winter weather is rather unpredictable; (e) no one seems certain what is provided and what is not provided with the rental houses. I'm sure there are other complications, but I can't think of them now.

Oh well, what's really important, anyway - figuring out the knitty-gritty details or the nitty-gritty details? ;o)

I'm on Ravelry!!

After what seemed like weeks and months of waiting... Okay okay, actually, I quite forgot all about Ravelry after I signed up for the waiting list a while ago. And then apparently I was sent an invitation back in late October, but it must have ended up in my spam box. I was re-issued the invitation when I checked for my number in the waiting list a day or so ago. Anyway, here I am! Yay!

Afternoon tea

I am a big fan of tea. I somehow made it all the way through college without resorting to massive quantities of coffee, instead opting to sip on green tea. Of course, that changed once I left school and entered the real world. These days, it's not unusual for me to drink a cup or two of coffee a day. Not so good. I'd like to go back to drinking predominantly tea and cut back on the coffee consumption. First new year's resolution? Hmm, perhaps...
s
A great start would be going to one of those fancy hotels for afternoon tea. An article from Washingtonian magazine landed in my inbox this morning about this very thing - holiday afternoon tea at various hotels, the Willard InterContinental in particular.

The $47-a-person tea starts with a glass of Moët & Chandon Champagne or a vodka-tea cocktail—your choice. While you sip, you can dip into a chocolate sleigh filled with fresh berries sprinkled with powdered sugar. That’s just one treat. Other sweet touches include cranberry and gingerbread scones—accompanied by jams, lemon curd, and Devonshire cream—as well as such pastries as bite-size fruit tarts and delicate chocolate napoleons.

The scones and pastries are presented on a three-tiered china tray; the top layer is devoted to savory finger sandwiches, including ham and cheddar on a Scottish oat cake, turkey on a buttermilk biscuit with orange-cranberry chutney, maple-smoked salmon on New England brown bread with fennel butter, egg salad with poached quail egg on rye, and shaved English cucumber and watercress with cream cheese on country white. If you want more of anything, just ask.

Then, of course, there’s the tea.

Besides more than a dozen loose-leaf choices—which range from a special Willard blend of Darjeeling, green, and red-bush teas to decaffeinated African amber, an infusion of hibiscus and exotic fruits—there are two holiday brews: chocolate-mint truffle and pear-caramel truffle. (We can vouch for the latter, which has a decadent aroma.)

See how pretty!

The champagne or vodka-tea cocktail, eh. Don't get me wrong, I think that either (or perhaps both) would be a perfect way to get things started. But the next part, the "chocolate sleigh filled with fresh berries sprinkled with powdered sugar"... Now that gets me excited! Add to that scones, cream, and a variety of sandwiches (I'm a big fan of sandwiches, too), and I'm very tempted to call for a reservation... Despite the hefty price tag!

Old habits...

definitely die hard.

My modus operandi: Enthusiastically start keeping a journal (either the old-fashioned kind or the online kind) with daily entries, sometimes multiple entries in a single 24-hour period. Then the enthusiasm gradually (and sometimes precipitously) peters out. The entries are now few and far between, with the time gap between entries gradually increasing. Until one day... Nothing.

I suppose this isn't an uncommon occurrence; I'm sure other people experience the same or similar trend... Which makes me feel quite better, because let's face it, we all like company when it comes to our failings, vices, and the like - no?

Well, here's one of my few-and-far-betweens. I am writing out of a vague sense of obligation - which is experienced through a delicate bite of guilt - but mostly because I want to share my latest FO - Auntie Soo's Angora Cabled Scarf.

Above: Auntie Soo's Angora Cabled Scarf. See above link for pattern; project notes can be found here.

Auntie Soo's Angora Cabled Scarf

Materials:

• 3 balls Louisa Harding Kimono Angora Pure (70% angora, 25% wool, 5% nylon; 125 yards/25g), colour 12 (soft greyish-blue)
• US#7 needles
• Cable needle
• Yarn needle

Gauge: approximately 20 sts & 28 rows = 4" in St st

Instructions:
Cast on 42 sts.

Row 1 (RS): K3, p2, k3, p2, k6, p2, k6, p2, k6, p2, k3, p2, k3.
Row 2 (WS): P3, k2, p3, k2, p6, k2, p6, k2, p6, k2, p3, k2, p3.

Rep Rows 1 & 2 until piece measures about 3 inches, ending Row 1 complete.

Cable pattern:
Row 3 (RS): K3, p2, k3, p2, c6f, p2, c6f, p2, c6f, p2, k3, p2, k3.
Row 4 (WS): Rep Row 2.
Row 5 (RS): Rep Row 1.
Row 6 (WS): Rep Row 2.
Row 7 (RS): Rep Row 1.
Row 8 (WS): Rep Row 2.

Rep Rows 3-8 until scarf measures approximately 75 inches from beginning (or as long as desired), ending Row 4 complete.

Above: A close-up of the cable pattern.

Rep Rows 1 & 2 until end border piece matches the beginning St st border piece (about 3 inches long), ending Row 2 complete.

Bind off all sts.
Weave in all ends.

Enjoy!


(Note: Auntie Soo's Angora Cabled Scarf project notes can be found here.)

Auntie Soo's Angora Cabled Scarf: Project Notes

Note: The pattern for Auntie Soo's Angora Cabled Scarf can be found here. Project notes (my thoughts on designing and knitting this project, and on working with this particular yarn) can be found in this entry.

When I first petted the angora-blend yarn, I was struck by two things. (1) I marveled at the light-as-air, lofty nature of the yarn. (2) I was disappointed by the not-very-luxurious, nylon-y feel of the yarn. Having committed to this yarn the moment I clicked on the buy button on eBay, I set out to cast on.

I played around a bit before deciding on this particular rib-and-cable pattern. The trio of 6-stitch cables seemed to balance nicely with the side borders of 3x2 rib. The wrong side (the private side, according to Maggie Righetti of Knitting in Plain English renown) is a slightly messed up looking rib, as the reverse side of a cable-knit item usually does.

I decided I wanted a deep border of ribbing at either end of the scarf, approximately 3 inches on each end, to balance out the cabling.

I had toyed with the idea of making two panels of cables, with plain rib panels on either end and in the middle of the scarf, but as I begin knitting the cables, I decided it would be best to continue the cables throughout the scarf with just the two deep borders of plain ribbing at both ends.

I started with two balls of the Louisa Harding yarn, but ran out and had to order a third ball of the yarn from the same vendor. I ended up using most of that third ball to finish the scarf.

Upon finishing the scarf, I was amazed by the lightness and loft of the finished scarf. I am certain the fuzzy angora will be soft on the wearer's skin, and hope the scarf will keep her warm throughout the winter. And I hope Auntie Soo likes her (belated) birthday gift... It was definitely knitted with loving care! :o)

Foodie time

Another non-knitty post.

Little sis describes my sweetie and me as foodies, in an amused tone of voice. So, going along with that, I took a look at Washingtonian Magazine's 100 Very Best Restaurants of 2007 and identified which restaurants I had been to - with (*) and without him - and which we would like to go to.

"Been there, done that, want to go back" List:
*7. The Inn at Little Washington (Washington, VA) - Very Expensive (VE); Modern
*11. Vidalia (Downtown) - VE; Southern, Modern
*12. Charlie Palmer Steak (Capitol Hill) - VE; Steaks, Modern
*14. Corduroy (Downtown) - Expensive (Exp); American, Modern
26. 2 Amys (Cleveland Park) - Moderate (Mod); Pizza, Italian
30. Heritage India (Cleveland Park/Dupont Circle) - Mod; Indian
*34. Bebo Trattoria (Arlington/Crystal City, VA) - Mod; Italian
*38. Ray's the Steaks (Arlington, VA) - Exp; Steaks
55. Huong Viet (Falls Church, VA) - Inexpensive (Inexp); Vietnamese
*66. Jaleo (Penn Quarter/Chinatown) - Mod; Spanish/Portuguese, Tapas/Small Plates
*80. Kaz Sushi Bistro (Foggy Bottom) - Mod; Japanese, Sushi, Vegetarian/Vegan
*85. Ristorante Tosca (Penn Quarter/Chinatown) - VE; Italian

Preliminary Wish List:
1. Citronelle (Georgetown) - Very Expensive (VE); French, Modern
3. CityZen (Capitol Hill) - VE; Modern
4. Palena (Cleveland Park) - VE; Italian, Modern
5. Minibar at Cafe Atlantico (Penn Quarter/Chinatown) - VE; Spanish/Portuguese, Modern
9. Marcel's (Foggy Bottom) - VE; Belgian, French
10. Komi (Dupont Circle) - Expensive (Exp); Greek/Mediterranean, Modern
15. Le Paradou (Penn Quarter/Chinatown) - VE; French
18. Blue Duck Tavern (Foggy Bottom) - Exp; Modern
19. Sushi-Ko (Glover Park) - Moderate (Mod); Japanese, Sushi
22. Mendocino Grille & Wine Bar (Georgetown) - Exp; Modern
23. Obelisk (Dupont Circle) - VE; Italian
24. Gerard's Place (Downtown) - VE; French
25. Ray's the Classics (Silver Spring, MD) - Exp; American
27. Taberna del Alabardero (Downtown) - VE; Spanish/Portuguese
28. Montmartre (Capitol Hill) - Mod; French
29. Bistro Bis (Capitol Hill) - Exp; French, Breakfast
32. Farrah Olivia (Old Town Alexandria, VA) - Exp; American, Modern
33. L'Auberge Chez Francois (Great Falls, VA) - Exp; French
35. Colorado Kitchen (Georgia Ave/Petworth/Takoma) - Mod; American, Southern, Modern
43. The Prime Rib (Downtown) - VE; Seafood, Steaks
44. 1789 Restaurant (Georgetown) - VE; American
45. Minh's (Clarendon, VA) - Inexpensive (Inexp); Vietnamese
47. Thai Square (Arlington, VA) - Inexp; Thai
50. Viet Royale (Falls Church, VA) - Inexp; Vietnamese
53. BLT Steak (Downtown) - VE; Seafood, Steaks, American
54. David Craig (Bethesda, MD) - Exp; American, Modern
56. Cafe Atlantico (Penn Quarter/Chinatown) - Exp; Nuevo Latino, South American, Dim Sum
62. Kotobuki (Palisades) - Inexp; Japanese, Sushi
64. Indigo Landing (Alexandria, VA) - Mod; American, Southern, Modern
70. Bangkok 54 (Arlington, VA) - Mod; Thai
71. Foti's (Culpeper, VA) - Exp; Modern
73. Grapeseed (Bethesda, MD) - Exp; American, Modern
74. Johnny's Half Shell (Capitol Hill) - Mod; Seafood, Southern, Modern
77. Indique Heights (Cleveland Park) - Inexp; Indian
86. Notti Bianche (Foggy Bottom) - Exp; Italian, Breakfast
90. Ceiba (Downtown) - Exp; Nuevo Latino, South American
91. DC Coast (Downtown) - Exp; Seafood, American, Modern
92. Hank's Oyster Bar (Dupont Circle) - Mod; Seafood, Modern
94. Tabard Inn (Dupont Circle) - Exp; Modern
95. Willow (Ballston, VA) - Exp; Modern
96. Raku (Bethesda, MD) - Mod; Japanese, Pan-Asian, Sushi
99. Acadiana (Penn Quarter/Chinatown) - Exp; Cajun/Creole, Southern

Heaven - the non-knitty kind!

This blog post falls under the category of "other" - as in other than fiber stuff. Now that I've given you fair warning...

Last night, my sweetie took me to dinner at one of the top restaurants in and around DC, according to Washingtonian Magazine's 100 Very Best Restaurants 2007, which put Ristorante Tosca at #85. We had dined there last year with a group of friends during DC Restaurant Week, at which time our friend Nick ordered a sublime veal-and-prosciutto-stuffed ravioli dish, which all and sundry agreed was hands down the best choice.

We arrived about half an hour before our 8pm reservation, prepared to wait at the bar with a glass of wine, but we were immediately ushered to a table (this being a Monday). We ordered wine anyway, of course... Tosca has an extensive wine list with some very pricey bottles, and only a few available by the glass. We opted to get a glass of wine each rather than go for a full bottle; we agreed that would be a bit excessive for a Monday night! I ordered a glass of Chianti Classico Querciabella ('05, Toscana) that went very well with the rest of the meal, full-bodied but subtle enough not to overpower the food. My sweetie ordered what has become his favorite Italian wine variety since he had a superb glass of it when he took me to The Inn at Little Washington (#7) for my birthday dinner - Barbaresco Produttori del Barbaresco ('03, Piemonte).

We started off the meal with a take on a classic Italian appetizer/salad - mozzarella with tomatoes:
Mozzarella fior di latte su timballo di pomodori e peperoni rossi arrostiti con olive e olio al basilico Housemade cow’s milk mozzarella cheese on top of roasted tomatoes, red peppers and black olives.

The kitchen split the order into two separate servings, which was a very nice touch. The presentation was colorful and quite lovely, with generous wedges of red and golden yellow roasted tomatoes, julienne of red and yellow bell peppers, a sort of minced black olive relish or tappenade, a generous drizzle of vivid pesto, and a garnish of fragrant basil leaves. The taste almost lived up to the presentation... We agreed that the cow's milk mozzarella was a little too dense for our liking, compared to buffalo mozzarella we had tried on other occasions, but we were quite pleased with our (his) choice (he is obsessed with this dish and variations thereof).

My first choice would have been this:
Prosciutto San Daniele con fichi, insalatina di valeriana e crostino di fegato alla Toscana Imported San Daniele ham with Black mission figs, Mache salad and Tuscan style chicken liver croutons

This particular dish is marked with the notation that it is a "Chef Signature Dish." Perhaps next time...

My sweetie, unable to shake the memory of Nick's stellar meal, ordered the only veal-prosciutto ravioli dish on the menu, yet another Chef Signature Dish:
Ravioli di vitello e prosciutto con il sugo d’arrosto al burro, salvia e Parmigiano Ravioli filled with roasted veal and prosciutto with a red wine reduction, butter, fresh sage and Parmesan cheese

We were unable to determine whether the preparation was exactly the same as Nick's dish, but my sweetie certainly enjoyed each bite - and I enjoyed both bites that he was able to bring himself to share!

I ordered a Chef Signature Dish pasta dish as well:
Tortelli di ragu alla Bolognese e ricotta di bufala con ragu di funghi Porcini e Barilotto Tortelli filled with veal ragu and Buffalo ricotta sautéed with Porcini mushrooms and butter sauce

Though I was able to finish only about half the dish (plus the two tortelli I passed over to my sweetie in exchange for his ravioli), I thoroughly enjoyed every bit, even though I am ordinarily not a big fan of ricotta. The Porcini mushrooms were a very nice touch, with a lovely silky texture and a subtle earthy flavor that complemented the rich flavor of the butter sauce and the meaty, savory flavor of the pasta filling.

To conclude our meal, we shared a dessert that I knew my sweetie would like as soon as I read the description:
Mousse al burro di arachidi con salsina alle carote e gelato alla vaniglia Peanut butter mousse with carrot sauce and vanilla ice cream

(My sweetie is very fond of peanut butter mousse dishes. To date, our favorite is the peanut butter-chocolate mousse pie we had at The Boulevard Woodgrill in Clarendon, VA.)

The mousse was a tad too sweet for my liking, but my sweetie seemed to enjoy it a great deal. I was glad of the French press (decaffeinated) coffee I had ordered - and he seemed to enjoy his cappuccino. The carrot sauce, which had given both of us pause as we perused the dessert menu, was a bit of a puzzle to us. It looked a bit like thoroughly pureed carrot baby food. It had a very faint sweet taste, as would be expected from something made from carrots, but the overall flavor was bland and weak. The vanilla ice cream was your normal, average, everyday vanilla ice cream. Perhaps the carrot sauce was intended to offset the strong sweetness of the peanut butter mousse and vanilla ice cream, but the dish ended up an odd juxtaposition of flavors, and the carrot sauce was just plain odd.

The dessert was not my favorite course, but the rest of the meal (especially the main course) was so delicious that we left wanting to return. We especially want to try the Pre-Theater Tasting Menu - first and second courses, plus dessert, for $35. The only potential wrench in our as-yet-hypothetical plans is that this menu is offered only between 5:30 and 7:00pm daily. Hmm... Play hooky from work one day? ;o)

Stitch DC Stash Club - ooh!

I think I am going to have to take the plunge and sign up to become a "Charter Member" of Stitch DC's Stash Club... Only 135 bucks (if I sign up by the 15th) for 13 projects including yarn and pattern. Quite the bargain! (As I rationalize to myself :oP)

Stitch DC Stash Club FAQ

Thank you for all your inquiries about Stitch DC Stash Club Here are just a few clarifications: Membership would be for twelve months/1 year starting January 2008. Sorry for the previous typo. I can only blame too little coffee. But as a Charter Member, you'll receive an extra shipment of yarn in December 2007 -- next month--. How to I become a Charter Member.... To become a charter member you must join by November 15. This is so I can be finalize my December yarn order. What is the price... As a charter member, there is a discount membership price of $135. After November 15, membership will go up to $165. Project sizes... this is more than just a sock club. I will work to develop projects that are manageable and can be completed with the yarn that I send you each month. Yarn Types and Skein Sizes... I have sought out yarn from all over. Some custom dyes, other unique small producers. Everyone is special, beautiful. The amount of yarn will vary each month but rest assured there will be enough for each project. Projects... think socks, lace shawls, purses -- felted and not, mittens and maybe even a summer tank. How do I join... Just call or stop by the store. You can pay with a credit card. If you are buying a gift for a friend or loved one, just let us know so we can put a nice note in December shipment. I hope this answers some of your questions. If you have any more just call or email me at mconnolly@stitchdc.com. Thanks for considering joining this special club. I can't wait to share my December's Pick. I custom designed the yarn and it is very dear to me.

Stitch DC Inc. Marie Connolly 202.544.8900 731 8th Street SE Washington, DC 20003

Mid-to-late October update

It's been a while, no? Much has happened since my last post - both in my personal life and in my knitting life. In certain ways, my personal life has had an impact on my knitting life. More on that later, however.

Instead of making the trek to Baltimore for Stitches East, I availed myself of the goodies at the annual fall anniversary yarn sale at my LYS, Woolwinders. (Alas, I wasn't able to make it to the annual mid-October sale at the DC yarn stores, Stitch DC.)

My dad was nice enough to accompany me, waiting so patiently that even Jacqui (the owner) commented on it. He has been very tolerant of my "little" hobby ever since I knitted shawls for my grandmothers. I was quite restrained in my purchases, limiting myself to (a) 4 skeins of Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton for the Eyelet Cardigan pattern I purchased at Loop in Philly over the summer, and (b) 2 skeins of RYC Cashsoft Aran for a ribbed hat.

I promptly got to work on the ribbed hat, completing it within a couple of days. I had planned to save the Eyelet Cardigan project as a reward for finally finishing my mom's "Blaze" cabled sweater, but the fates had different plan...

My boyfriend and I faced a bit of a crisis a week or two ago. I'd prefer not to go into details, but we came to the mutual decision to take a bit of a hiatus. Naturally, I was upset by this turn of events and needed something to distract me.

So I attacked the Eyelet Cardigan, finishing the knitting of the garment pieces within a week. All pieces - front left, front right, back, and two sleeves - are now sitting in a Woolwinders shopping bag, awaiting blocking and seaming.

I still didn't feel much better, so I decided to indulge in a little retail therapy, knitting-style. Loop, a cute little store in Philly, was having a sale on bamboo yarn from Be Sweet. At $6 per skein and a savings of 40%, the yarn was just too irresistible. So I purchased 6 skeins - 3 and change for a(nother) Kite Kerchief (pattern by Alchemy), and 2 and the rest for my sister to fashion into a lacy, drapey scarf of some kind.

I then waited impatiently for my shipment to arrive. (To my dismay, it took a full week from the date I placed my order for the yarn to travel from Philadelphia to Gaithersburg - way too long, in my book.) The yarn finally arrived today, however, and I am quite pleased... For the most part.

Yarn: Be Sweet Bamboo
Content: 100% Bamboo
Yardage: 110 yards / 50 grams
Gauge: 6 sts/in on US 3. 5 sts/in on US 6.
Care: Hand wash. Lay flat to dry.
Color/Lot: 633 (lavender)/2627.
Quantity: 6 skeins total (3+ for me, 2+ for my sister).

The yarn itself is quite lovely, with a nice sheen similar to that of mercerized cotton. The company, Be Sweet, has a fantastic story behind it as well: all yarns produced by the company are hand dyed and balled by women in South Africa as part of a job creation program in "an economically depressed rural region with a 75% unemployment rate." A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the yarns go back to the community - something we can all enthusiastically support!

The yarn reminds me of Rowan Cotton Tape, which is essentially woven tubes of cotton that lies flat. Be Sweet Bamboo is also a woven tube that lies flat, albeit of bamboo rather than of cotton. I can foresee having to untwist the yarn every so often while knitting so that the yarn, and thus the knitted fabric, is not too twisted and distorted.

Flat tubes of bamboo.

If the sample swatch is to be believed, the knitted fabric will be slinky and fluid, with nice drape and a substantial - though still light - weight.

Yarn & swatch.

The only qualification is that the color, lavender, is not my favorite. Don't get me wrong, it's a very pretty color... It's just not very "me." Still, I think a Kite Kerchief shawl made from this yarn will be lovely, and perhaps make a nice gift one day (if I can bear to part with it, that is).

Okay, one other qualification... The yarn splits pretty easily, so I'll have to be very careful as I knit. I probably won't be able to knit by touch alone, at least not initially.

To Stitch or not to Stitch...

Five months after the fact, I am still experiencing Maryland Sheep & Wool withdrawal. I am simultaneously disappointed and relieved that I must wait another seven months for the next one. Disappointed for obvious reasons, relieved because I would find myself in the red were I to find myself in the candy store that is MdS&W.

But coming up in just another week is Stitches East, a smaller fiber festival (with no livestock) at the Convention Center in Baltimore. Two of my favorite MdS&W vendors - Tess' Designer Yarns and Brooks Farm Yarn - will be at the Stitches East Market. There is a Marketplace class that I would love to take (Knitting Both Ways).

However, factor in the various costs, and Stitches East becomes a rather, well, costly expedition: Metro fare ($7.80) + MARC round-trip ($14) + light rail ($3.20) + knitting class ($30) = $55. So the question now becomes: Is it worth spending $55 to go to Stitches East, or would it be more worthwhile to spend that money on yarn at my LYS or online stores?

Dilemma.

Crafty Bastards

Yesterday, my sister and I went to Crafty Bastards, an annual arts and crafts fair in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC. I only found out about this event a week or two ago, but my sister had been looking forward to it for quite a while.

Above: 4.5 ounces of 70/30 merino/tencel roving from Snargle Handpaints in colorway aquamarine

Overall, we were a little disappointed. Too many people. Lots to see, but not a lot to buy. Way too many people. However, I did manage to find not one, but two crafty fiber ladies at a single booth - Woolarina and Snargle Handpaints. In the booth was displayed a glorious array of brightly-colored roving, handpainted yarn, handspun yarn, spinning kits (with roving and spindle), and knitted items.

Above: Half on the spindle, half braided.

My favorite items were a sunny yellow-and-orange roving, a lovely pair of mittens handknit from handspun bulky red-and-green yarn, and a cute knitting sheep tee from Woolarina, and a silky-smooth shades-of-blue merino-tencel roving from Snargle Handpaints.

Little sis convinced me not to get the sunny roving - whatever would I do with bright yellow-orange yarn? I was tempted by the mittens, but at 30-something/40-something bucks, they were a little out of my price range. I wasn't sure I would ever wear the Woolarina tee (I'm not a big fan of sporting logos and such on my chest). So I walked away with only one purchase - a 4.5-ounce braid of 70% merino, 30% tencel roving in a pretty colorway called aquamarine.

Above (from left to right): Drafted roving; you can see the sheen of the roving, thanks to the tencel content; in natural light.

I started spinning the stuff the very next day. The merino-tencel is a dream to spin. It took me just over 24 hours to spin half the braid of roving; the spun yarn (approximately 350 yards of thick-thin DK/sportweight) is hanging to dry, and the other half is on the spindle as I type this. Now, what to do with the yarn...

Above (left to right): Handspun yarn on the swift; very very curly prior to being washed & dried.

Challenge to the future challenge

Hmm, slight problem.

The Auntie Yarn (TAY??) is a chunky weight yarn, meant to be knitted on 10-12 needles, but...
The Minimalist Cardigan pattern calls for a worsted weight yarn, to be knitted on 7 needles.

Tricky.

Maybe the yarn could be used for the knitted bag instead, hmm...

While I'm at it, the other Auntie yarn (hereby christened The Other Auntie Yarn, or TOAY??):

Hohenloher Wolle | Magic
60/40 merino/acrylic

US4-5 needles

I can't say I'm terribly fond of the color, but as it was a gift and I have 4 skeins of the stuff, I'll have to find an appropriate project for it. Stay tuned.

Welcome back (me)!

After mainly using this blog as a place to post and store photographs, I've finally decided it's about time to revive (or just "vive") the knitting blog. So here it is, no longer the tired, old "Stitch'n'Bitch/MsJunebug3" blog, but rather the new, (I hope) improved "Monkey Business Handcrafts" blog!

What better way to embark on a new beginning than to take stock of past accomplishments, works-in-progress, and future challenges? So, working in reverse order (aka starting with future challenges/prospective projects)...

Future challenge #1:

I need a knitting bag. A bag dedicated (almost) solely to carrying my knitting projects - and a few essentials like wallet and cell phone, of course. I have been on a perpetual search for the perfect knitting bag for a long time now. Everywhere I go, I am subconsciously on the lookout for a bag that could potentially act as the ideal knitting receptacle.

I can't say that my quest has ended (or whether it will ever truly reach a conclusion), but I can say that after the September 24th 2007 Knitting Daily landed in my email inbox with a link to a preview pattern from Pam Allen's latest book, Bag Style, I'm a step closer.

Chunky weight [#5 Bulky]
Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Chunky [75% wool, 25% alpaca]
110 yd [101 m] / 100 g, 3 balls
US 10 1/2 [bag], US 9 [handles]
17 sts & 19 rows = 4" in patt st on larger needles

All of the patterns in the book are for knitted (and possibly crocheted??) bags of varying sizes, styles, and uses. This one, the Knitting Needle Knitting Bag, incorporates a lovely berry stitch in a chunky yarn for a quick, easy knit, with a set of actual knitting needles to lend a bit of structure to the top. At just under 19" wide and 9" tall (not including the needles or straps), it's also the perfect size for a small, portable project (like a pair of socks).

Future challenge #2:

My dear Auntie brought back from Korea a nice lovely bag full of worsted-weight wool yarn produced by a manufacturer I had never seen.

Fantasia Ski Yarn | Alpaca Print

70/30 alpaca/wool | 53m/40g
15-16 sts & 19-20 rows = 4" on US 12-14 needles
10 skeins = 530m

Whilst flipping through the Fall 2007 issue of Interweave Knits, I figured out the perfect garment to match with the yarn: Ruthie Nussbaum's Minimalist Cardigan.

Lily Chin Signature Collection Park Avenue [60% merino, 40% alpaca]
109 yd [100 m] / 50 g, 8 (9, 10, 12) skeins
US 7 needles
20 sts & 28 rows = 4" in moss st, after blocking

The yarn was and still is meant for a knitted-by-me item for my mother, and though Auntie originally intended it for a vest, methinks the cardigan will be a better use for it... No?

Then again, I'm not a big fan of vests in general...

[To be continued...]

Sheepfest: Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival 2007

Last weekend was the 34th (and my 1st) annual Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival (MdS&W). The anticipation leading up to this premier fiber festival excited me so much that I could hardly sleep the night before. Even so, I sprang right out of bed at 7am (unheard of, under normal circumstances) and walked out the door a little after 8am. The drive to the Howard County Fairground took longer than I would have liked - close to an hour. As soon as we took exit 80 off Rt 70, we saw cars crawling along, bumper-to-bumper.

Traffic leading from the highway exit to the Howard County Fairground.

The entrance to the Fairground.

As soon as I walked onto the Fairground, I experienced overwhelming sensory overload. Stretching in all directions were rows of booths, all bursting with colors and textures. The mingled scents of roasting meats (yum, lamb gyros!), frying dough (yum, funnel cake!), and various animals (umm, not so yum) assailed my nose. My fingers literally itched to bury themselves in mounds of fibers and yarns. A feeling of inexpressable joy and excitement swelled inside me, stretching my mouth in a wide grin and cementing my feet to the ground as I tried to decide which way to turn first.

One of my favorite vendors - Tess' Designer Yarns.

I finally managed to settle upon a direction (left) and let myself walk into the Tess' Designer Yarns booth first. Tess' was already packed - not only with skeins upon skeins of colorful, hand-dyed, variegated yarn and knitted samples, but also with people, mostly women, nearly all in a state of dazed euphoria; I was indeed surrounded by kindred spirits. After somehow identifying a few items I was interested in, I managed to wiggle through the crowd and tear myself away to continue my exploration.

Along the way along, among, and through the barns, I passed lots of eager people...

Line at the Fold booth, stretching right out the door.

...lots of fluffy little animals...

Pygora goats at the Sheep Thrills Fiber Farm booth.

Funny looking critters, aren't they? A pair of alpacas.

The goat likes to jump & climb.

...lots of fascinating booths...

A lovely selection of merino and merino-tencel roving at the Opalessence booth.

Sheep fleece sale in the Main Exhibition Hall.

Gorgeous example of Fair Isle knitting at the Yarns International booth.

...and lots of demonstrations.

Fluffy lil English angora bunny, whose fur will then be spun...

...by the Spinning Lady into yarn on her spinning wheel.

Me, happy... Sheep being sheared, not so pleased.

Before returning to the Tess' Designer Yarns booth, I finally managed to locate one of my very favorite vendors - Brooks Farm Yarn...

Brooks Farm Yarn booth - one of my absolute favorite vendors of the MdS&W.

...where I couldn't resist a lovely skein of 100% mohair yarn from the Widows & Orphans rack.

Brooks Farm Yarn: 1 hank of Primero 100% kid mohair yarn from the widows & orphans sale rack... Isn't it pretty?

Along the way, though, I did make a few more purchases:

Opalessence: 8oz of teal merino-tencel roving.

Golding Spindles: 2" very lightweight drop spindle.

The teal merino-tencel blend roving had so silky-smooth a texture and so lustrous a color that I couldn't resist. As for the Golding Spindle... Well, those are considered by many to be among the best drop spindles available. The brass ring concentrates the mass on the outside of the whorl for a longer, more even spin. This one is so tiny and light that it is perfect for spinning lace-weight yarn. I can hardly wait to attack the merino-tencil roving with the Golding!

After I did one last lap around the barns and booths, I allowed myself to return to the Tess' Designer Yarns booth, where I made a few purchases of both yarn:

Tess' Designer Yarns: 2 skeins of sock/baby weight superwash merino for a baby sweater (for Gregg's friends who are expecting).

Tess' Designer Yarns: A close-up.

...and pattern.

Tess' Designer Yarns: Pattern for a lovely beaded shawl... And I got to meet the designer!

I was very excited to meet the designer of that last pattern - a lovely beaded shawl designed to be made with a gorgeously soft alpaca-silk Tess' yarn in subtle shades. We were able to chat a little bit about knitting, the pattern, and life before exchanging contact information. Best of all, she is an alum and former professor of mathematics at my own alma mater - Columbia University!

Alas, the glorious day had to come to an end, but I couldn't leave MdS&W without at least one impulse buy...

Misty Mountain Farm: 4oz of merino combed top.

And now, all that's left is to wait (rather impatiently and eagerly) for the next Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, always the very first weekend of May!