Cotton Bam Boo Tastic, and how the girls are a signal of weight loss to come

I called Woolcott and Company, my friendly yarn shop. I'd say my neighborhood yarn shop, but since the yarn for my pink cardigan was a vacation purchase in Cambridge, Mass... it's not my 'hood so much.

Not only did they still have more balls of yarn in the right color- it's even the right dye lot. Never one to turn down the quirky wonderfulness of fate, I've ordered two skeins which MUST BE more than enough. I probably only need half a skein, but these are not things you take lightly when you have to add this much fabric for the bust-line and still want to have 3/4 length sleeves. If I end up having way too much, I'm sure I could come up with some interesting uses for it. Cute little baby sweater tops the list (as an accent color, if not enough for a full little sweater or hat).

While the new yarn is wending its way to me, I've been re-working the dagnabbit sweater fronts. And this time they really are zooming. There's something to be said for re-work- at least it's easier!



It's funny what it takes to get a person to realize their real size. I'm making size C of this sweater, 39 and 3/8 inches around. And it looks to be fine, width-wise. And yet I needed to add significant space to accommodate my significant frontage. I know this- I know my bra size, and I know I'm not a tiny person. But it's still an awfully visceral way to be reminded of what I'm really like. It doesn't quite match up with my self-perception.

My general size is like that. I'm a great deal bigger overall than I can really comprehend. I'm getting it, though, and this has lead to some pretty big changes. I don't just have a gym membership, I go to the gym on a regular basis. And I'm working up to going on a more frequent regular basis. I started the Couch to 5k running plan, and just finished week 3 this evening. I walk home from work on occasion (it takes an hour and a half or so, with a big ole hill in the last half hour). I wear a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps a day. I started doing crunches again, and other ab exercises, because my waist size has increased commensurate with my bust size. I have started cooking more, and especially cooking things that I can pack and take to work for lunch. Every lunch I bring with me saves me 8-10 dollars and ensures I have some notion of the nutritional content of what I'm eating. I also miss doing yoga, but haven't been brave enough to try any of the classes at my new gym. I do it at home sometimes, and hope to get more into it again soon.

I wish I could say all these changes were making a big impact- and I suppose they are helping. I gained 15 pounds after starting my new job, and when I began a new medication, and I've lost that excess weight already. But I have a long way to go, and it's incredibly important that I not get complacent. I may be the bounciest and flubbiest chick working out at my gym, but at least I'm there- and eventually, surely, more of the weight will come off. Maybe someday I won't need to alter my sweaters anymore, and I won't need as many skeins of yarn or as much time knitting to have beautiful hand-made tops that fit.

I'll keep you posted.

A show and some knitting content

Last night the boy and I trekked up to Baltimore to see Rilo Kiley, one of my favorite bands. They generally attract quite the hipster crowd. At least, they did when I saw them last in DC and felt I was underdressed. But ah, good homey Baltimore is quite different. I went to school right outside the city, and last night's concert attendees were so familiar to me. Mostly in khaki shorts and polos and sundresses, with just a few hipsters spread throughout who are long-standing fans. Besides observing the dress code, I was entertained that during the show Jenny (the female singer/guitarist/bassist/wonder woman) starting playing a riff from... Everclear I believe. And the crowd was genuinely upset they wouldn't play the whole song! Rilo Kiley, for what it's worth, sounds nothing like Everclear. And they certainly have plenty of their own material. We left before the encores, since somehow the two opening acts became three and it was obscenely late at that point, with a long long drive back to Arlington ahead of us. But we did get to hear "Never" before we left- a song I have always somehow associated with my boy, and one of my favorite songs more generally. He doesn't care for it, though. Repeating the word "never" over and over again could get old, if you don't get into the mood of the song. Maybe.

I know you didn't read this for the concert update- you came for the knitting! I'm trucking along on the cashmere stole; I am just about to start the fourth pattern repeat. As soon as I retrieve it from the car, since I brought it on our little road trip last night. I did finish something else, though.


This sweater has a few issues for me.
First: this is going to be a belly sweater. I realized it pretty quickly, but was WAY too lazy to go back and add another few inches of ribbing. It has a beautiful swing and sway to it, however, with the cotton bamboo yarn, so I think I will just wear this over a tank top or a camisole anyways and be just fine if it swings up and exposes what would otherwise be naked belly and back.
Second: I adore this yarn. I think it's sheen is unmatched, and it has amazing heft while not being too warm. But there is no good way to say it- the yarn hurts like crazy. Knitting with this stuff is killing my wrist, my palm (where I grasp it with my little finger). I can't really change the way I hold the yarn now, since it would destroy my perfect tension. That means I can only knit a few centimeters at a time without wanting to cry. I hope that now I'm doing the fronts it won't be so bad- at least there are fewer stitches to a row. Sheesh.

I have been trying hard not to waste money, but I fell into the allure of using my stimulus money for what it was intended. A third of it went straight towards prescriptions and other useful and necessary stuff, but I also bought a wee bit of yarn and an OttLite. I am so excited to try cross stitching with this amazingly bright light! Here's a review of these latest fun purchases, lickety split.
The OttLite in its new habitat:


And my yarn purchases. This one I bought from someone on Ravelry- it's Vesper, a heavenly sock yarn:


The others are from Sonny and Shear, a great online yarn vendor. First up, Shibui Sock in a luscious deep purple:


Zen Yarn Garden in the color of clouds:


And two neat skeins of Dream in Color Smooshy:



Ah, my love of sock yarn is strong.

Maryland Sheep and Wool, and a detour

Believe it or not, it's not all fabric and quilting ideas and abc's around here. There's still plenty of yarn to go around.

Maryland Sheep and Wool this year was... different. I live just enough farther away that it was a HAUL to get there. And once I was there... it was just crazytown. So many people. I did manage to purchase exactly what I was looking for, but I'm not sure I would go on Saturday next year. Sunday is just much more relaxed. Exhibit A of the crowds:


And another crowd shot, near the outdoor tents


Last year at Sheep and Wool I regretted only one thing: not buying cashmere yarn from Hunt Valley Cashmere for a shawl. This year (after much debate), I did buy enough for a lovely scarf. Knitting with it? Fantastically luscious. As you can tell, since I'm nearly one full repeat in already!


I can't stop touching it.


I also fell disastrously in love with Tess yarns last year- I knit my Hanami out of the laceweight merino and had to buy more for another shawl.


I also picked up three (enormous) skeins of their Merino Petite, a DK weight yarn for a simple sweater (pattern as yet to be determined).


After Sheep and Wool I needed to relax a bit from the crowds. I drove down towards Jamie's by way of 15, which was a beautiful and peaceful way to journey. And I saw a sign for a winery... and had to stop in.



It wasn't Oliver, but the wine was tasty and I enjoyed it enough to join their wine club. Unfortunately, after a day in the sun at the festival I was a bit dehydrated and not the nicest company that evening. I think I hate chardonnay for a reason. At any rate, their reds are delicious!


And cashmere makes everything better.

When faced with two options, take both?

Here's an interesting one. I purchased Elann's Silken Kydd a few days ago, for my holiday party stole. And then I couldn't bear to wait for it to arrive, so I bought the Kidsilk Haze as well. I'm a good ways into the Kidsilk stole... and then I read this interesting blog post from Sable Stasher. It really does sound like both yarns are identical. Hmmm. Two balls of Kidsilk Haze, care of my LYS, cost 30 bucks. Two balls of Silken Kydd cost me 13 dollars, including shipping.

I do love supporting my local yarn shops, and I'm supposed to be destashing anyways- but I have to say it's getting harder for me to justify paying more than twice the price simply to buy local. Maybe once I'm out of credit card debt, I'll be more willing? In the meantime I'm a failed budgeter, having bought essentially the same thing twice. BUT! This means I can make *two* stoles- and the next one will be of a completely different pattern. I wear black shawl things or sweaters just about all the time, so it will hardly go to waste.

I have a great deal of ambivalence about this pricing thing. I will spend a significant amount of money on certain things, due to their quality and workmanship, or because they fit perfectly (always a challenge on my frame), or because it's unique and I know I'll never have the opportunity again. I also will spend extra on things that really do seem to be better off for me and the world at large- I aim to buy local, I try to support independent artisans and especially local ones (or ones from New England, for sentimental reasons). But when faced with identical alternatives, how do you scoff at the option that saves money? Rowan hardly needs my help- and both yarns are imported from Italy. Supporting a LYS is wonderful, but so is supporting one's pocketbook.

What a quandary. I really want to knit with both, to determine how "essentially similar" they are to the hand as well as to the mind. After all, the Kidsilk Haze is a dream to work with- I hope the Silken Kydd is just as soft and delicious.

Fascinating Japanese Knitting

Here's an interesting one for you. I still get emails from Threadbear Fiber Arts- the neatest yarn shop owned by two of the neatest guy knitters ever. I used to shop with them when they were in Indiana- it was a pretty solid drive to get out there, but the shop was worth it. Now they have relocated to Lansing, Michigan and I'm back in Maryland, but they still send really interesting emails. They offer great (and cheap!) classes, and I am particularly intrigued by a new line they are carrying: Habu from Japan. I decided to check out their site to see if anyone local carries their stuff, since it sounds interesting. I also had heard that Japanese patterns are interesting to knit. Well it sure seems so. This is their main website and if you go through they have a diagram which explains (sort of) how to knit to Japanese directions. See for yourself. Threadbear is doing a class with their local rep, but I figure it might be fun to try and do it on my own... the instructions mostly make sense. I think. Apparently WoolWorks in Baltimore carries their yarns. So does Stitch DC right here in town! So I think I may take a field trip soon. Here are some of their yarns available online, if you are so inclined to view them- I want to touch them before ordering. Pretty Yarns

But I am not allowed to do anything until I get my Mystery Stole 3 underway. Also, here's a picture of the other shawl I cast on for- I hate it. I hate that I have to knit the collar part first. I will get over my antipathy at some point, because the finished product is so beautiful- but maybe I'll work on it this fall: I'm even working it in this colorway.