Episode 13: Late Night Ramblings

Hello everyone! It’s been too long – again – but here I am! 🙂 It’s been a hell of a couple weeks, it’s not like it’s even going to get any easier, but I needed to talk to y’all! How have you been?? Me, well, work and teaching have been taking up all of my time lately, but I’m not really complaining. It just sounds that way. On the bright side, I’ve started a new design – which you get a sneak peek of! 🙂 So, let’s jump in and get started…

Current Roster 

• Célia by Arianne Caron-Lacoste. This hasn’t been worked on at all this week. I only showed it because I know that CronicKnitter needs her gorgeous red fix! 😉 I do need to get some time logged on it though…
• Celestarium by Audry Nicklin. This has actually gotten some work on it this week. Surprisingly, it was the perfect thing to work on while teaching – lots of stockinette with just a few decreases/YOs/beading, super easy to work on.
• Doctor Who Inspired Socks by me! A new design, inspired by the gorgeous String Theory Hand Dyes in the Snow White’s Dress colorway, which I think is a perfect TARDIS blue. The name will be announced when the pattern is ready and will be an homage to the Tenth Doctor. I’m knitting them toe-up, with a reverse heel flap, using my new Knitters Pride Karbonz needles in US1/2.25mm.

Alumni Roster

• Simple Stripey (Hockey) Socks. Done, done, done! They even have ends woven in and everything! WOOT!

Scouting Report

• Next up will the Bowties are Cool socks by Mandie Harrington. It’s a free pattern on Ravelry and I’ll be knitting it out of The Uncommon Thread BFL Sock in the Debauchery colorway. I’m not working on these until March – that’s when the Knitting in Circles Pop Culture KAL will start!
• I finally got my skein of Trailing Clouds Bluefaced Leicester Self Striping yarn in the Mind the Gap colorway. Oh my goodness! LOVE!

What’s Making Me Happy

• Knitters/crocheters/spinners really are the best people in the world. Thank you for your concern on the two week break and for your awesome Plurks when I wasn’t feeling my best. 
• I’ll get to do a little travel for work in a few weeks – just up to Atlantic City – but I’m planning on recording while I’m there. It doesn’t look like there are any LYS’s where I’ll be – since I’m taking the train up and won’t have access to a car. (Mom, you should be happy about that one, right? Hahaha!)
• RAP Tuesdays. I’ve taken part the past couple of Tuesdays and oh my goodness – there’s nothing like the feeling of happiness you get when you get those emails saying you made their day. 🙂 I may have been a little misty over a couple of them.

That’s about it for this week… There were a few tangents taken that I just can’t remember 24 hours later, heh. Have a great week, everyone!

xo, Holly

Episode 12: Another Early Morning

Hey everyone!

I hope you have had a great week – mine has been busy, so there’s not much in the way of progress… but there has been stash enhancement. Because… pretty! (Yes, I’m weak. But I’m supporting small businesses, so it’s okay. Right??)

Current Roster 

• Célia by Arianne Caron-Lacoste. Hooray, the replacement needle arrived and I finally got to work on it on Monday! (Yes, I splurged on a pair of Signature Needles… I totally want more!) I literally have one more set of increases before separating the sleeves from the body. Hopefully, this will help the sweater go faster. It should, I’ll be removing 186 stitches from the body. I really want this sweater to be done, for a few different reasons. 😉
  
• Simple Stripey (Hockey) Socks. These got the most love this past week, mostly because they’re small and I took these to all my classes this week… which resulted in a HO! Woot! I’m past the heel placement on the second sock, so I should have a finished pair of socks next week… if Célia doesn’t distract me. Heh.
• Celestarium by Audry Nicklin. I’ve only worked a row on it this week. I need to get back to it, it’s so darn pretty!

Scouting Report 

• Three new bags in lovely geeky fabric by Stitched by JessaLu! OMG, the fabric is awesome – she pairs fabrics so well and her finishing is divine. She has a lot of bags up at any given time – and she’s got fab taste in fabric! The custom fabric she uses comes from Spoonflower – so you know they’re fun. (Ummmmm… SPACEBALLS. SHE HAS SPACEBALLS FABRIC. I’m tempted to go to Spoonflower and just buy the fabric to have. I’m just sayin’.)
• A very cute wedge bag from Bird Leg Bags on Etsy. So cute! It even came with a hook to hang it from your jeans so you can knit while teaching… oh wait, that’s me. 🙂
• I may have managed to hit a Highland Handmades update right after it went live… and I behaved myself. (I know, amazing, right?!) I only came away with a braid of the mixed BFL and her Silver Maple Sock in New Suit colorway.
• My second shipment of the Cloudlover Fiber Club came in – a braid of Shetland in the Cerise colorway. I really need to start spinning!
• My second shipment of yarn from the Magnolia Society Sweater Club came! It’s 9 skeins of Madeline Tosh 80/10/10 Worsted in Whiskey Barrel. LOVE. It’s a dark grey with brown, blue, green undertones. I need a pattern for this. (Though I may have a few choices. Must check on yardage…) I am not casting on for another sweater until I’ve finished Célia. That’s what I’m going to continue to tell myself.
• My final shipment of the Woolgirl Fairy Tales sock club came! The theme this month is Snow White and the yarn is a perfect match to Snow’s dress. Cabled socks? Socks I design? Hmmmm, I’ll have to give this some thought. The yarn is String Theory Caper Sock – a yarn I’ve never used. I’m excited to play with it.

What’s Making Me Happy 

• Signature Needles – LOVE the fact that I ordered my replacement needles on Thursday afternoon and received them on Monday. Awesome service.
• I know there were other things, but I’ve forgotten about them. Oops!

Have a great week everyone!

xo, Holly