Orchid Theif Shawlette

Details:
Yarn:  Terilyn Needleart Heather in Maize (1 Skein)
Needle: 6US
Mods:  None

I enjoyed knitting this but enjoyed blocking it even more.  Lace is so deceptive in that it's a wad and until you block it out, you have no idea what you've really got.  I liked the yarn that I used, I picked up earlier this year at Stitches West but while it's classified as fingering weight which is what the pattern calls for, I think it's a very light fingering weight, almost lace weight.  But the color is beautiful even if the texture is a bit rough.

I used the pattern that is in Brave New Knits.  Let me tell you, if you're using this book make sure you check for the errata for this pattern.  The pattern in the book is a mess and I would have saved myself a lot of heartache if I'd checked for the errata.  I did row 86 like 10 times before I finally decided to check and see if anyone else had any problems with it. Once I got that cleared up, Chart 4 went smoothly and I finished the project no problem.  But wow, that's a lot of stitches by the end of Chart 4.  I swear all I did was purl back for days!

Stitches West...

I will be heading off to my mom's today. The plan is to have dinner with my Grandma tonight and then tomorrow morning we're off to Stitches West.

The plan...don't have one. I'm not really shopping for anything in particular. I’m sure I’ll pick up some sock yarn, it doesn’t count as stash, and maybe some stitch markers. And if I’m really lucky, I’d like to get some sock blockers with Doxie cut outs. But if I don’t buy anything at all I’ll be ok with that.

I Guess this is What Happens...

when you fall off the face of the earth. You miss that the Winter 2011 Twist Collective came out. Where was I?!

I always love the photography in Twist Collective but this time I doubly love it. The mix of the fancy fabrics with the rusticness of the wool is beautiful.

Lots to love in this issue but two were my favorites:

Corinth by Christa Giles

Bellevue by Robin Melanson

Last years Stitches West sweater was from Twist Collective, Roheline. It got lots of attention at Stitches and I still wear it all the time. This year my mom and I are going and we're taking one of my mom's friends that is part of her sewing group. I am really looking forward to going again this year. I got a copy of Cookie A.'s Knit. Sock. Love. for Christmas and I NEED sock yarn!

I got Roheline done in time for Stitches and let me tell you, this sweater was such a hit. People were grabbing my arm and stopping me as we walked around the market place to ask me about it. It's such a great feeling as a knitter to have your work noticed especially when you're surrounded by other knitters.

I'll get better pictures but here she is the night before I leave...so happy I finished it in time.

The highlight of going to Stitches for me was meet Alana Dakos of Never Not Knitting podcast and blog fame. I love her so much, I was so excited. My mom made fun of me saying that it looked like I was meeting George Clooney or something! I was so excited. And she is so sweet.

She asked if I wanted to say something on the podcast and I chickened out and said no. But now I'm totally kicking myself. I should have done it. She was so sweet. Highlight of the show.

I picked up a copy of her Shawl Collard Cowl pattern. I've been coveting it for a long time and was thrilled that I could buy it directly from her. Mom picked up a copy of the Adult Spring Garden Tee pattern. I'm going to have to borrow it from her because I love that one too.

I picked up a single skein (I should have bought more) of The Sanguine Gryphon Little Traveller in Kalmar colorway to knit my Gram a pair of socks for Mothers Day. My sister gave me a sock pattern book for Christmas and Gram had pointed out a couple of patterns that she would like to have made for her...I can take a hint.

The only thing I really wanted to buy was some fancy stitch markers while we were at the market place and I found these pink ones. They're from Miss Purl...very inexpensive and very cute. I was prepared to pay up to $20 for some nice markers but including the adorable bunny box..only $12! A steal. I should have bought more then one set. I might have to go to her Etsy shop and order an additional set.

I had a great time and I can't wait to go again. Actually I have to admit that I'm disappointed in myself. I didn't buy barely anything. I think I was too reserved in my spending...oh well now I have money for next year! lol

I'm on my way home today from my mom's. I'll try to have all my pictures posted and a full review of Stitches West for you this weekend. Suffice to say that I had a fantastic time and yarny goodness abounded!

More later!

We're off to Stitches today! So excited! I did finish my Roheline in time (barely) so I will get pictures of it as soon as I can. Let's just say that I had to take all the buttons off of it and put them back on again. About 75% of them ended up being too low for the button holes. That's never happened to me before and I had to pull them all off and replace them. I guess I shouldn't watch Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and sew on buttons. I think it turned my brain to mush. But I got it done and just in time too.

We'll be leaving my mom's house in the Napa Valley shortly and hope to be in Santa Clara in time for the Market Place to open this morning. Fingers crossed that it doesn't pour rain today like the forecast has been calling for. Either way, I can't wait! I'm so excited!

Hope your Friday is awesome too!

Today, I'm heading off to my mom's house. I'll be staying with her tonight, going to Stitches tomorrow and then spending the night again before heading back to Sacramento on Saturday morning.

I mentioned to my mom, who is a professional seamstress, that I'm going to be needing a dress for our friends wedding in June. So now in addition to going to Stitches on Friday, we're going to be making an additional stop on our way back at a quilt shop called New Pieces Quilt Store in Berkeley.

I think I've pretty much settled on this dress for the wedding.

Lotus Morning Glory by Amy Butler

I love Amy Butler fabric and New Pieces has lots of it. I'm hoping to find Lotus Morning Glory for this dress but if not, I'm sure that I'll find something else that I really like. This pattern only calls for 2 yards of fabric for the bodice and the skirt which is hardly anything.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to handle tomorrow...knitting and sewing fun in one day?! It might be too much!

Finally! The slow boat from Knit Picks arrived!

My replacement size 4 interchangables arrived! I thought they were never going to get here and I was really starting to get antsy. Roheline is almost done and I was really starting to need these needles. I'm working on the yoke for Roheline now and am hoping to have it finished before my mom and I go to Stitches West at the end of this week.

And if I finish Roheline in time for Stitches, I'm going to need to have a project to take with me while I'm at my moms. Even if I don't get to knit at all while I'm gone, not having something to work on in case I have a few minuets stresses me out. But that won't be a problem now since I'll have Larch with me.

I'm pretty excited about getting to go to Stitches this year. This is the third year in a row that my mom and I have tried to go. Two years ago we had plans to go but ended up not going because I was broke and my mom really had to get out to a yarn shop in Grass Valley because they had ordered some yarn for my grandmother and my mom needed to pick it up for her. Last year we had planned to go, bought tickets to the marketplace in advance and we were both really looking forward to it, but then my Great Aunt passed away and we had to leave for Alabama the same week that Stitches was being held so we missed it. I was hoping that I might get to swing into Stitches South when Hubbs and I drove from Atlanta back to California but we just didn't have the time. This is the year for Stitches West. I have the time off from work and unless there's an emergency, we will be there and I can't wait.