Birthday Yarn and Alpaca Fest!

My birthday was last weekend and it was a good time. No sprained ankles, crashed cars, I didn't get stood up, and my wallet was still with me at the end of the weekend!I got tickets to the blue man group from my parents and i am really looking forward to it. The show is later this week. This week is going to be hell at work so the show will be a nice perk at the end of my week. I also got yarn. Lots of yarn. My uncle bought me 4 skeins of Donegal Tweed and my brother bought me 4 more plus the Debbie Bliss Rialto book. I am debating now about which pattern to make, I think i have settled on Demi from Rowan Vintage Knits but we shall have to see what I actually cast on when i can start working on me-projects again.

The biggest event to hit Columbus came in this weekend. Alpaca Fest 2008! And yes it was as awesome as it sounds. The biggest disappointment was that I forgot my camera. I really wanted a picture of me + an alpaca, but not this time. Ill just have to go next year. There wasn't as much fiber as I had hoped for, but there were 2 buildings worth of alpacas. I had never seen an alpaca before so this was great fun. I got to pet Gus and Augustus, and I am working on convincing my mom to get a pair of Huacayas. She wants a Suri but I disagree.

I did buy some yarn though. There was yarn available from the North American Alpaca Co-op. I bought 1350 yds of DK weight 100% baby alpaca for $35. Maybe it was a silly impulse purchase, but it seemed like a good deal at the time. All me-projects are officially on hold until Christmas is over, but this yarn moved to the top of my yarn queue. Do you think that is mean to my birthday yarn? Shh don't tell it.

My mother is waiting to get into Ravelry and in the meantime, I have let her sign in as me so she can browse patterns. The downside to that is now she has seen the catalogue of my stash. And that is just the yarn I admit to publicly, there is some Lion brand hiding in my closet somewhere. There was some chastising, and I have agreed to not buy yarn until I have knit 2 sweaters, or 2 sweaters worth of yarn.

Finished! Tahki Cabled & Ribbed Vest

Tahki's Donegal Tweed Cabled and Ribbed Vest from the Tweed Collection

I saw this pattern as a sample at my LYS and immediately had to have it. I used my leftover Cascade Eco Wool from the Hemlock Ring Blanket. I think I used just under 2 skeins, about 950 yds. I used size 8 needles. It was an enjoyable knit and I hope to make it again when I find a proper recipient. This one is for me. I would like to play with the cable pattern on the front and perhaps do something more creative on the back. The back is just reverse stockinette.

I wanted to wait until I could photograph some action shots but I cant get the stupid thing to dry! That is what i get for a full wet block on aran/bulky yarn rather than just my normal spray block. So for now you just get to see my blocking picture. If it is not significantly drier when I get home from work today I am going to have to move it to next to my furnace.

Presents!

I got presents in the mail. Its almost like its my birthday or something! (tee hee it almost is my birthday actually.) There was yarn and bath mitts and lotion and bath salts and yarn oh my! The body products are from Etsy and smell yummy. They are on my nightstand right now and I can smell them before I go to bed, and when I first wake up.

The yarn is delicious, it is Berrocco Ultra Alpaca. I am pretty sure that my secret pal is psychic (or a stalker) cause I have this yarn on my wish list at my LYS. And guess what my LYS also has: more yarn in the same dye lot! I am not sure how this happens cross country, but I was amazed. I bought more yarn and now I am making Something Red from Knit and Tonic. I hope my pal doesn't mind that I bought more of the yarn. I am soo excited that I got yarn on my wish list. Yay.

Also, while I was watching the Sox (YAY) sweep and win the world series I cast off my Tahki Vest. I will make a special post for it when it is properly photographed and blocked. I also was a bad kid and bought some lace weight Zephyr to make Muir from the fall Knitty. It will be my first foray into lace. At least lace that is lace sized, does a chunky weight afghan count? I made a gauge swatch and it turned out beautiful, but it took a lot of concentration. I think I will wait to cast on until I have my Christmas presents finished and have time to concentrate and knit at the same time. Ick, knitting I actually have to pay attention to. At least it will be something different.

todays daily rose candy

the posh of the future

Finished! Clapotis

I have finished my first Christmas present of the season. It is my infamous Clapotis from Knitty. The only modification that I made was using a DK weight yarn on 5's instead of worsted weight. I used Fiesta Ballet in Morocco. It is very lightweight and drapey, and should be warm because of the alpaca content. The gift is for my grandmother, and hopefully she will love it. The colours are very "her."

Finished! Hemlock Ring Blanket

This is the mystery project. Finished in 3 weeks flat! I knitted this for my best friend Shannon, it was her wedding gift. I have been showing it off around town but unable to post until Shannon opened it.

It is the Hemlock Ring Blanket designed by Jared over at Brooklyn Tweed. I used 1.5 skeins of Cascade Eco Wool in shade 8010. It is natural with little wisps of black. Like Breyer's Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Being the world's loosest knitter, i used size 9 needles. I went one pattern repeat past where Jared did and the blanket ended up about 4.5 feet across. Other than that there were no pattern modifications. This is actually Shannon's second wedding afghan, i started one of the colinette afghans, got about 75% done and decided i didn't like how it was turning out. I have to frog it but i used mohair in a couple of stripes and we all know how much fun mohair is to frog.

i am back

The mother of the groom prefers the overhand method for throwing rose petals.

I survived the weekend, and almost in once piece. Last week was crazy at work and at home. My best friend got married and there was a bunch of stuff to take care of last 2 weeks. Not to mention I had to finish knitting her wedding gift. The wedding gift is the mystery project I have been working on. I knit a Hemlock Ring Blanket, designed by Brooklyn Tweed. It is done, blocked, delivered, opened, and loved. More on that later, in a separate post. The wedding went off without a hitch and Shannon and Ben should be in an airport somewhere right now. There were kazoos, and dolls, and groucho masks, oh my. I had a great time, everyone looked beautiful, and i am recuperating now with lots of advil.