Yet again, I've got to hand it to Jimmy Beans Wool. They are easily becoming my favorite on-line purveyor of fine yarns (fancy way of saying on-line wool shop). On New Years Eve, I was searching for a new project since I knew that I would be finishing Vintage Knee Socks and Valpuri soon. I had had my eye on Aidez by Cirilia Rose for a while and was finally getting to a point where I thought it would be safe to look into what yarns I would want to use for it.


Hubbs grandpa gave me a Visa gift card for Christmas and I figured why not use if for something that would give me joy multiple times. So I started checking out the project pages on Ravelry. A lot of people had used Cascade Eco+ for their projects and I had been wanting to try out this yarn for a while. So I ventured over to Jimmy Beans to check out their color choices. It was really hard to choose but I finally decided to go with 4009 Aporto.

I figured that Jimmy Beans would be closed on New Years Eve and New Years day. But they were open and shipped my yarn that same day! I couldn't believe it. I figured that ordering it on a holiday would give me more time to finish up my existing projects (I did finish 2) but my yarn arrived on Monday! Monday, people! I know that I'm really close to them as they're located in Reno, NV and I'm in Sacramento, CA (by the way if you get the chance to go to their brick and mortar store, you totally should...it's a great shop) but getting the yarn on Monday after ordering it on a holiday weekend is really awesome!

I love Jimmy Beans so much!

Well, I decided what I want to do with my left over skeins from Vintage Knee Socks. In my massive search for a project I came across Laar by Gudrun Johnston. It's been published in The Shetland Trader - Book 1 which has a few really cute patterns in. Currently only one pattern is available for individual purchase but the rest are going to be made available this month. Now I have to decided if I want to purchase just this pattern or if I want the book. The book is reasonable priced at $22.95 which gets you the print book and the PDFs.

© Gudrun Johnston/Jared Flood

© Gudrun Johnston/Jared Flood


© Gudrun Johnston/Jared Flood

© Gudrun Johnston/Jared Flood

I know that I'll have to purchase more yarn to make this since the two skeins I have won't be enough but it'll be totally worth it. This top is adorable! It would look great with a skirt or with pants. And with a tank under it, I could wear it to work.

Now I just need to decide, do I want the book (yes, I do) or do I want to wait for the PDF (maybe). I think I should just order the book.

Never mind, I ordered the book. Getting the PDF copy of the book right away is sooooo cool! The book is beautiful for the pictures alone, not that I would expect any different from Jared Flood, his photographs are always beautiful. Can't wait to get the hard copy.

Book 1 of my 50 book challenge...The Giver by Lois Lowry

Quick read as most Young Adult books are. Newberry Award winner and a decent read. Not sure if I will request the second book in the series or not. I'd give it two stars out of 5 because I liked it but didn't love it. The main character, Jonas, was a little flat to me until about the last 25% of the book. But then again, I guess you'd be flat too if no one in the world except for one person had any memories of the past. I would recommend this book for young readers. There was nothing racy in it at all and I'm sure that younger people could relate to Jonas.

Valpuri is done! I am so on a role for finishing project this week! Somehow, I don't think I'll be finishing anything else this week but I did finish the two I need to be able to start a new project. And since I ordered some yarn for a new project last Friday, that's a good thing!

Pattern: Valpuri by Berraco Design Team

Yarn: Berroco Vintage in Sloeberry (3.5 Skeins)

Needles: US 6 & US 8

Mods: I worked this in the round instead of in pieces to be seamed up. I didn't eliminate any stitches for side seams. I just took the number that the pattern said and went with that. After I finished knitting this in the round, I read an article that said you should eliminate 2 stitches from each side because the designers add those in to account for the stitches that are lost due to seaming. But it fits great as is.

Also, Girl Friday is currently blocking. I cannot wait to finish this sweater. The stitch definition with The Wool of the Andes from Knit Picks is really nice. Can't wait!

Done! I finished my Vintage Knee Socks! And I love them. They are so perfect with my boots.

Pattern: Vintage Knee Socks by Hannah Fettig

Yarn: Knit Picks Shadow in lace weight (2 skeins) held double through out

Needles: US 2 & US 3

Mods: None

I was right though, I did have way too much yarn for this project. The pattern called for 2 skeins of lace weight yarn, each skein 825 yards. So I ordered 4 skeins of lace weight, 440 yards. Thankfully, I only wound up 2 skeins. I figured that I would use those 2 for the first sock and the second 2 for the 2nd sock but I never needed them. I was able to make 2 knee high socks out of just those two skeins. Now I just have to figure out what I want to make with the remaining 2 skeins.

I guess there is something about purple yarn that saps my brain. I've only used purple yarn three in my whole knitting "career" and 2 out of 3 of those times I have ordered way too much yarn for the project. I seem to order double what the pattern calls for in purple.

The summer after 5th grade I love purple. I remember having a purple purse and getting a pair of purple plastic hoop earrings in Wall Drug, South Dakota. I'm sure there was a lot of other things too but those are the two things that I remember most.

In the last year or so, I've slow become reacquainted with my love of purple. It was never a conscious thought but some how, I've collected a lot of purple stuff. My favorite travel mug is purple, my re-use able lunch bag is purple and my snow jacket is purple. My favorite lipstick is in a purple case and the mirror I keep on my desk is purple too. I don't recall thinking, "Ooo! Purple!" even once. I just suddenly had a ton of purple stuff.

But back to my purple yarn problem. When I ordered my yarn for Vera, I accidentally ordered enough for a second sweater. That's where Valpuri comes in. It's still blocking (and has been for about a month). All I need to do is fix where my bind off unraveled when I washed it for blocking and then sew on the sleeves and knit the collar. But I basically got two sweaters for what I thought was the price of one. Well, it'll be two sweaters when I finally finish Valpuri.

Then I ordered yarn for Vintage Knee Socks from Hannah Fettigs book, Closely Knit: Handmade Gifts for the Ones You Love. At some point I read it as needing 4 skeins of lace weight yarn. So off I went to Knit Picks and ordered 4 skeins of lace weight yarn. The yarn sat for a while while I messed around with Moorish Lattice Cardigan, which eventually got frogged and became Girl Friday. On Christmas day I finally decided to cast on for my Vintage Knee Socks. The pattern in the book calls for 2 skeins of Alpaca with a Twist in Fino. Each skein of Fino is 875 yards for a total of 1750 yards. The yarn is held double because it's lace weight. I ordered 4 skeins of Knit Picks Shadow, it's 440 yards each for a total of 1760 yards. When I knit a regular pair of socks, I used about 440 yards of fingering weight yarn. Granted these socks are considerable taller then the ones I normally make but after finishing the 1st sock, I still have about 1/2 my yarn left. I wound 2 skeins of Shadow at the same time on the ball winder to make one ball to pull from, so I have about half of that 2 skein ball left. At this point I'm starting to think that I could have gotten away with ordering 3 instead of 4 skeins of Shadow, or maybe just 2.

I don't know but either way I think I have too much yarn...too much purple yarn. Now the question becomes what to do with the reminder of the Shadow when the socks are done. I don't do shawls. I just don't. I won't wear them and I see no point in spending the time to knit something I won't wear. I'm thinking maybe a lace scarf or, depending on how much yarn is actually left, a pair of socks. I'm just not sure. The only thing I am sure of is that I have to stop ordering too much purple yarn.

Dear Ravelry,

Why is your awesomeness the bane of my existing? You're so awesome, so many cool patterns in one place, so much inspiration and all the great people...you're the coolest. But with so many choices, I want to make them all. And I want to do it right now.

But I made goals for 2011. Numbers 2 and 8 say that I can't start anything else until I finish at least two of my existing projects and that I can't have more then 4 WIPs at any one time. I know you're just doing your job but is there any chance you'll be a little bit less awesome?! Please? I'm not above begging but I think you're above lowering your standards.

Every time I go on your site to look for a specific project using a specific yarn I find something else I want to knit that isn't within the parameters that I set. If only I could quit my job and knit 24 hours a day, then I might get to at least a small percentage of all the awesome projects that you tempt me with every day.

I know you're not going to lower your standards because it's not your style. But could you, for the sake of my sanity, at least say you'll think about it? Just maybe?

All my love and admiration,

Me