"One of these things is not like the other..."

Do you love this skull mug as much as I do? I picked it up at Annapolis Pottery. It has beautiful blue hues around the outside and a greenish blue color blend on the inside. I really wanted to take it to work so I could sip my coffee from it during the dreadful staff meeting but I don't think my co-workers would get it. They think I'm crazy as it is.

Easton, MD LYS - Yarns & Company

Made another trip out to the lovely Eastern Shore a few weekends ago. Seriously - I need to move there. If only I could get a job there making what I make now or perhaps a teleworking position that would allow me to work from home. That is the dream!

We started in Easton and walked the quaint streets while enjoying the absolutely gorgeous fall weather. We popped into Irish Traditions, a store which was the most authentic Irish store I've seen stateside. I picked up some Christmas gifts (yes - CHRISTMAS gifts) and saw the most wonderful paintings and knitted items. The store owner was so nice, too.

Unfortunately, the Christmas gifts didn't exactly stay Christmas gifts as I gave them to Saoirse last weekend out of fear she'd outgrow them before Christmas.




We then popped into Jake's Pet Boutique where there were plenty of items with which to spoil Seamus. But they didn't have his favorite treats so while we were tempted by the items for sale, we didn't purchase any.

The next stop was Yarns & Company just down the street.



Proof again that Sean is awesome, he kindly took Seamus for a walk around the block and I checked out the store. I'm sure I could have brought Seamus in with me, but the 11 year old Yorkie in the store wanted nothing to do with Seamus nor Seamus to do with him.

Yarns & Company is a super cute store with a rustic feel. There is a great selection of yarn and the prices are very reasonable. The ladies in the store were so very friendly and I got some assistance with my sock and hat knitting issues (those pesky loose stitches at the beginning of a DPN in the round, aka ladders). I ended up buying some gorgeous hand-dyed yarn from Australia (which also came with a free shawl pattern) and a little skein of baby yarn in light blue. I also got a pair of bamboo knitting needles in size 5.



This store had the best prices for Clover needles I've seen (besides Joann's with a 40% off coupon). The store is definitely worth checking out if you're on the Eastern shore.

While we had a nice time in Easton, we were itching to go back to St. Michaels. I had hoped we'd like Easton more since the homes are bit less expensive than St. Michaels but one must follow their gut and our guts were drawing us back to St. Michaels. I'm guess the same was true for Seamus as he seemed a lot more relaxed and happy-go-lucky (i.e. not barking at everyone and everything) on the streets of St. Michaels as he did in Easton. Seamus also enjoyed our lunch at the Crab and Steak House. He loves hanging out under the table and barking at dogs passing by.



I did make another stop into Frivolous Fibers. They had changed the layout of the store slightly since last I was there. There is now a couch and it is a bit more open. I didn't buy anything - not for lack of looking and not for lack of wanting. I'm just very much aware of the mammoth stock pile of yarn I have at home and the number of projects I have to get done by the year's end. Best to put off some other yarn purchases while I get the things that need to be done, done.

What about the yarn I bought in Easton? Of course that doesn't count because that was my first visit to the shop. Plus, I do have projects in mind for the purchases. I'm using the shawl pattern that came with the hand-dyed yarn to make a birthday present and the light blue yarn will be made into a baby hat using the size 5 needles. :)

Freebies!

My husband is wonderful for so many reasons, one of which is his understanding of my enthusiasm (obsession) with crocheting and knitting. He's even so kind as to feed that obsession. Case in point - a couple weeks ago he came home with a bag full of crocheting and knitting books. A coworker had brought a bunch of books to work that she had been given by a neighbor. Before donating them, she gave first dibs to her coworkers. Sean scooped up all the crocheting and knitting books available and carted them home on the commute. What a guy!

So here's what I've got:



Universal Yarn Finder by Maggie Righetti - It's an index of yarns including names, where you can buy it, needle gauge, texture, cleaning care, yardage, etc. I guess it's like Ravelry's database in hard copy. But one thing to note - the book is copyright 1983 and 1987. I don't know how many of the yarns in the book still exist or if the descriptions are still accurate after 22 years. I'm really happy my cover doesn't look like this one.

DMC: Spring Into Crochet No. 15230 - Designs by M. Kathleen Colussy and copyright 1986, I'll be honest there are some ugly patterns in here. The best one is the cover design.

The Harmony Guides 450 Knitting Stitches Vol. 2 - Considering the price on Amazon is $42.99 for this out of print item, getting it for free was quite a deal.

Treasury of Crochet Edgings by Sharon Valiant and Judy Teague Treece - Seems like a great book at first glance.

Crochet in 4-Ply Cotton #7106 by Hayfield - A lot of motif white cotton tops. Maybe 2 of them are wearable.

Knitting Counterpanes by Mary Walker Phillips - Very fun patterns in this book.

Anchor White Crochet Lace: Book No. 11, Art. No. 17751 - So many wonderful lace pillows in this book. There is a round one I'm hoping to make. The only problem is that all patterns are charted instead of written out.

Sweater Design in Plain English by Maggie Righetti - I'm no where near knitting a sweater, but I hope this book will come in handy when I am ready.

More proof Sean is awesome is that when he placed an Amazon order for a book he wanted, he bought me a book off of my wishlist (because he's that nice and to get free shipping). This is one I've wanted for a while.



Comparing this one to the older book on yarn should be fun.

Mercury Retrograde

If you didn't already know, Mercury has been retrograde since September 7th.

From the website:

"Mercury retrograde gives rise to personal misunderstandings; flawed, disrupted, or delayed communications, negotiations and trade; glitches and breakdowns with phones, computers, cars, buses, and trains. And all of these problems usually arise because some crucial piece of information, or component, has gone astray or awry."

Here's my latest WTF? moment as I'm learning to knit. Take a look at this photo and tell me what's wrong with it.



Look a little closer...



I'm sure that seasoned knitters can spot it right away. As for this newbie, I was about 5 rows from the end when I noticed it wasn't quite right. Something was wrong with the stretch of the material and it looked a big off. Finally I figured it out - all my stitches are twisted. Actually, all my purl stitches are twisted. I was knitting and purling continental style (which I find to be faster and more comfortable) and I apparently wrapped my yarn the wrong way while purling. So what did I do? Rip it all out?

I couldn't do that because I already have a project I do have to rip out -- all the way down to the first big of blue near the center.



At first, the blanket was all wonky so I adjusted every other row to have a cluster stitch of 2dc - 2 ch - 2 dc instead of 3dc - 2 ch - 3dc every row like the pattern called for. I thought it was working great but then I laid it down to take a photo and here's what happened. It's got this weird bubble in the middle.



So - rip, rip, rip! Take it out! Start again!

::sigh::

And it was supposed to be done today for a baby shower. Oh well. It should be done in time before the little one's arrival.

Can I blame these problems on Mercury retrograde? Yes I can. And therefore, no new projects until after September 29th. Plus I have plenty of WIPs that need some attention. Since they are already started, I hope they continue as planned without this kind of craziness.

I am here...

...with 3 or 4 posts to post. But the tooth extraction yesterday was less than enjoyable and I spent the remainder of the day on the couch watching bad tv. I didn't even crochet much, it was that bad.

This weekend - a post or three!

Checking the List

I can't believe the summer is over and it is already September! While my blogging has been infrequent, I have been quite busy with my hook and needles (and pastry bag and sewing machine). It seems like an excellent time for a review of how much progress I've made on my Crafty Resolutions list for 2009.

1) Finish the following UFOs:

• Knitted Baby Blanket - Completed - and baby Edward loves it.


• BUBBLES bubbles Wrap - I switched it to a scarf as I gave the second hank to Celtic Memory when I visited Ireland. The scarf has been started and while it has not plagued my existence like the wrap did, it has sat untouched for months.


• Spiral Pentagram Motif Shawl - Still in a bag in pieces. I'm at the point of unraveling it all and reusing the yarn with some monster needles to make a simple garter stitch shawl. I saw one at MS&W this year and loved it.

2) Design more stuff and write more crochet patterns including: coasters, fingerless mittens, and pot holders.
Completed - at least the coasters part. Designed and up for sale on Ravelry are the citrus and watermelon coasters. I have sketches of potholder designs but I haven't looked at fingerless mittens yet. There's still time, right?

3) Try to sell a project - either on Etsy, at a craft fair, or word-of-mouth.
Completed - sold a fat bottom bag. She loves it and she's had lots of people ask her where she got it. I really must get some business cards made.

4) Learn to knit socks on double pointed and/or circular needles.
Completed - the first pair was given to KMP. I've also made some baby socks. All were made on DPNs and while the magic loop method looks interesting, I'm sticking with what I know for a while. Looking forward to a sock-a-long with "C" as we both knit with the ShiBui Knits sock yarn I picked up in Portland.

5) Go to MS&W 2009
Completed - and it was a fantastic weekend!!!

6) Visit the new Lion Brand Yarn Studio in NYC.
This is slated for early October when I travel to New York for work. (Queenie - you're in, right?)

7) Complete the following new projects:

• Make at least 1 blanket for donation (charity TBD) - no progress on this one yet


• Baby blanket for Decklin or Saoirse (due in May) - Completed for Saoirse's arrival in May.


• Baby blankets for the other babies that are sure to be announced in 2009 - One is currently underway, the yarn is bought for another and there is yet another to be finished by December (yarn and pattern TBD)


• Traditional crocheted tablecloth for future Sister-in-law - I was going to make this for her bridal shower gift but I could not find a pattern that I loved. Instead, I made the cake for her shower:
  
  If and when I do find a great pattern, perhaps the tablecloth can be a housewarming gift instead of a bridal shower gift.


• A shawl from the Amazing Crochet Lace book - I completely forgot about this resolution until I reread the list today. Socks are way more fun right now so I'm not sure if I'll get to this one or not.

8) Take another class at Joann's - cake decorating, sewing or quilting.
Actually took 2 more classes in cake decorating. All that is left is fondant and gum paste flowers. I have also come to the realization that I cannot take up quilting or any other form of sewing projects until we move into a bigger home. The craft room is packed and the cabinet is full of cake making supplies. There is no room for more crafts at the moment.

----

Wow - that's a lot of the list just 9 months in. I think I'll reevaluate what is left on the list and those projects that need to be completed (i.e. baby blankets) so I can better plan out the last few months of the year. Suggestions? Comments?

Annapolis LYS: Yarn Garden

Last week I was in Annapolis for Sean's dental appointment. Instead of spending the 90 minute appointment in the waiting room, I drove over to the Yarn Garden yarn store. I'd been meaning for years to stop by and check it out. I was glad to finally have time to do so.

As always, I try to be completely honest with my yarn store reviews while trying my best to soften the negatives. (Can you tell where this review is going?) So please know that this is my honest opinion of the store, not a dig at the owner or patrons. Here goes...

This may be the worst LYS I've visited to date.

The Yarn Garden is located on the second floor of a building which is part of a strip mall. This strip mall is now adjacent to a recently built and GINORMOUS residential/retail area with high end condos and apartments, restaurants, and specialty stores galore so the stores and store facades look a bit old and dated. I still had hope for a cute little store as I walked up the stairs to the store.



Upon entering the store, I was unimpressed. The lighting was bad, the walls needed paint and the merchandise was soooo unorganized. There were no prices on the yarn. Instead, what appeared to be post-its cut to size were taped to the shelves with handwritten yarn names and (sometimes) prices. I could not figure out the organization of the yarns as to color or manufacturer or fiber content or use. It was maddening! There were patterns available - but they were in different parts of the store and organized in one place by publisher, another place by type (blankets, sweaters, etc) and another place by a combination of both - I think. I'm really not sure.

But I looked beyond all the disorganization and searched through the shelves for something to catch my eye. Something different, something unique, something that I had to have.

I found nothing.

Not a skein, not a hank, not a pattern, nothing.

I'd seen most of the yarn before in other stores and online, in better colors and at better prices. The sock yarn was drab and scratchy, the stocking patterns were hideous, and the wall of notions was behind the counter so I couldn't even see if there was something I might want. When I did see a book I thought I might like, I picked it off the floor (where it was displayed, propped against a shelf) and attached to the book was a giant dustbunny. While I had originally assumed it was the disorganization of the place giving me not-so-great-vibes, it was now confirmed that in fact this store was dirty. I left not long after the dustbunny encounter.

The woman behind the counter was nice enough - she did say hello and good-bye - and I didn't think she was rude, but I didn't find her that friendly or warm. There were ladies at a table learning to knit and they were having a good time so maybe I missed the subtle, unconscious charm of the store that they seemed to enjoy.

In summary, I won't be making any return trips to the Yarn Garden and I can't say that I would recommend it to anyone either living in or visiting the Annapolis area. I hate writing such a negative review because my dream is to someday own my own yarn store and I imagine the owner of Yarn Garden loves living his/her dream of owning their yarn store.

Completed Project: Knitted Socks

I finally did it! I knit socks!!! Wahoo!!!!





And here's proof that I did knit the pair of them.



All the details are on Ravelry but here are the highlights... I used the basic sock pattern from "How to Knit Socks" and bamboo DPNs. The bamboo made it much easier to learn to use DPNs since the yarn wasn't sliding all over the place like it was when I used metal DPNs. The yarn is Opal Harry Potter sock yarn that I purchased in Ohio. I loved the colors of it - even more when knitted - as well as the name of this particular color: Dumbledore.

I'm going to be a bit boastful here and say how proud I am of myself that I learned to knit socks and that they came out looking so good. The only problem with them is that they are a bit too small for me. I can put them on and they are comfy but the knitting stretches a bit too much for my taste. I should have swatched it to make sure the yarn and needles worked with the pattern but I was so determined to just knit. So instead of keeping this lovely pair and never wearing them, I'm gifting them to the lovely KMP who just moved back to the area and will need some warm socks when the colder winter months approach. I'm glad to know these special socks will have a good home.

I'm now on the hunt for some good baby bootie/sock patterns to accompany all the baby hats I'll be making. Thank Goddess for Ravelry, Lion Brand and all the other online pattern searches! If you know of a particularly good one, leave a comment or send an email.

Completed Project: Felted Scarf

Here's the felted scarf made with Blue Heron chunky chenille that I bought at Frivolous Fibers in St. Michaels. I started it on MS&W weekend and finished knitting it in early July. I didn't get around to felting it for a month. This is my first knitted scarf and my first felted project! (quasi felted, really)

Here are the before felting photos:



Of course, a finished project must be appropriately modeled...


And the after felting photo:



Seamus found the scarf to be uber stylish and uber tasty.


All details are available on Ravelry. I meant to measure it before it was felted but I didn't remember to do it until the washer was on the spin cycle. Oops.

If I didn't have all these babies to knit and crochet for, I would consider getting more of this yarn and making lots of hats and scarves for Christmas gifts. The colors are so rich and vibrant and the yarn is soooo soft. Looks like all the adults are getting store bought items this year.

Completed Project: Baby Hat (1 of at least 5)

While all's been quiet on the blogging front, I have been busy knitting away the summer. I've needed to keep all needles going at every break since I currently have five...count 'em FIVE... prego friends who are all due between November and January.

During my last trip to St. Michaels and Frivolous Fibers, I bought 2 skeins of Encore yarn because they came with a free hat pattern. The pattern came in newborn and toddler sizes. I got one in blues and one in purples/pinks since the gender of two babies is known (boys) and the other three are surprises and/or unknown right now.

Last Sunday, on the train ride home from New England after my brother-in-law's wonderful wedding, I cast on for the newborn sized hat. That evening, while watching TV, I had a finished hat. I couldn't believe I finished it in one day! Sure, the 7 hour train ride helped but still, I must be a tad bit faster at knitting than I was before.



This first hat is for Julie's baby boy who is due in early December. All details are available on Ravelry. I'm hoping to make another newborn hat from the same skein and maybe even have enough yarn left over to knit up some matching booties or socks. If not, the yarn was under $6.00 per skein so I can always pick up another one (or more depending on how many other pregnancy notices I get in the coming months).

Between the hat and the socks I'm working on (yes - I'm really making socks!) I've come to really love my DPNs... yes, the same DPNs that used to scare me with all their points sticking out. I think the switch from slippery metal to smooth bamboo DPNs made all the difference.