Up in Armholes & Stashing Down

Hello dear friends!

I’m a Cowlard! 

I have spent the last chunk of February making a scarf – the Wheat Scarf which I made too short, so then I made it into a cowl/collar/neckpiece. My male roommate is highly interested in said neckpiece, and wants me to make him one too!

And this past weekend, I finally made it up to the armhole in another project I’m working on! Yay! I can’t reveal much about that project,  because it’s a secret, but it’s the biggest project I’ve ever tried to do and so I’m happy with my progress. I was very much behind.

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m someone who knits a lot of winter items. Worsted and heavy worsted and bulky is kind of where my heart is – I love squishy, and cozy, and warm! But of course, I know that despite the horrible Pittsburgh winter we’ve been having, there are indeed other seasons. So! I embarked to find a pattern that was spring-y or summer-y, and I’ve found it in the Two If By Sea Shawlette by Pam Jemelian.

So I went and ordered my second order from KnitPicks – three skeins each of their wonderful Shine Sport yarn in the colors Reef and Platinum. My personal yarn choice is louder and brighter, but I’ve always been a “go big or go home!” type anyway.

Stashing Down. . .  #NOMOREYARN2015

I’m determined that this is the final bit of yarn I’m buying – I think I said that last time, but I mean it!  I don’t mind having “a stash” but my space and budget are limited, so I’ve decided that from now on! No more stashing.

For me, the idea of having a LOT of stash – like excessive amounts of it – is both natural and where your brain wants to go, like “GIVE ME MOAR YARNS!”  but at the same time, I don’t think unused yarn is the same as an unread book. I can’t give away my unused yarn to just about anyone, or to a resale store, the same way I can give away an unread book, and frankly, yarn is more expensive than most books I buy.

When I moved to Pittsburgh, I probably gave away about 100 books. It was freeing. And I don’t miss those books. I have, probably about 30 balls of yarn. Each was bought for a specific project in mind, except for 2-4 which were gifts. As I stash down this year, I hope to be able to show you all more finished projects!

I know that was more serious and less ridiculous than my previous writing, but it’s just something that I’ve been thinking a lot of.

What are you working on? Do you have stash down goals for yourself?

Oh, How I’ve Failed You, Knittery Goddesses!

Now, last month I did not do a second post! But I will tell you what I did do. . .  And I’ll make up for it by having more pictures! Like a real blog, gosh-darnit! (I don’t actually say ‘gosh-darnit,’ ever, as I have quite the sailor’s use of language, but let’s pretend.)

I came back to Pittsburgh, where I’ve been flabbergasted by the way it lulls me into a false sense of security with a day of warmth, sunshine, and blue skies, and then it watches me eat sidewalk as I slide on icy remnants of winter! When I’m finally on the ground, it kicks me in the butt, as if to say, “You fool! You senseless fool! This is winter, and you, foolish fool, need to dress more warmly, and finish those fingerless gloves!”

What fingerless gloves, you ask? These. . .

© Valentina Georgieva

Aren’t they beautiful?

I’m knitting them in Shepherd’s Wool in the color Seafoam (I think). I bought the yarn from my LYS, Knit One.

I actually started them, only to realize I didn’t have enough yarn left, so ran out to get another. Of course, I encountered a dazzling nymph – and by dazzling nymph, I mean beautiful yarn within my price range ($7) —

Shepherd’s Wool in Seafoam and Berrocco Vintage in Edlerberry

I’ve also gotten this beautiful yarn – which I got from a great website I’ll plug, in case you haven’t heard of them! I sure hadn’t before! (This is not any kind of sponsored anything, I just really loved my order from them!)

Malabrigo Lace in “Periwinkle”

This yarn is from Fabulous Yarn.com. I found them by googling “Malabrigo lace” and they came up first. Not only was this yarn cheaper on their website – by $4 compared to where I was going to get it from – than any place I cross-checked with, shipping was FREE! Did you hear me? FREE!

And in the mail, they gave me a coupon for an extra 5 percent off my next order!

They event have an e-club, which, if you join, gets you a percentage off every single order you make! How cool is that?

For Christmas, my boyfriend gave me this beautiful Cascade lace yarn, but I wanted to make something substantial, so I bought this yarn to be its friend! I don’t know exactly what I’ll make yet, but I’m excited!

Well, that’s all for now! I have plenty of new posts to come, so please keep checking back!

And, I’m curious – what other knitting blogs do you enjoy? Please comment below, and let me know! Or, share your favorite fingerless glove pattern?

Ta ta for now,

CB